


The Mark of Ingravesco

by musesmistress



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:57:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesmistress/pseuds/musesmistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's life is about to turn upside, and his lonsome family growing quickly. But will he survive the end of his school year?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

'Push, Hermione, push.... That's it, one last big push.'

Hermione's head dropped back on the bed; it was over. She closed her eyes and lay still for just a moment. The pain in her stomach throbbed, her breathing was still ragged from the experience and she listened to the sounds around her, the small cry of a new born baby, the words of a nurse soothing the child, those still caring for an exhausted Hermione and two voices talking to her, her mother and Molly Weasley, both doing as they had done for the last nine months, telling her everything would be fine, and how beautiful her child was.

'It's a girl,' the Healer announced handing the bundle of blankets to its mother. 'She's beautiful,' she smiled. 'What are you going to call her?' she asked.

'Lily,' Hermione breathed. She didn't feel right, the pain in her stomach deepened and she felt drowsy and dizzy. Her arms dropped and someone made a grab for the newborn baby. Hermione didn't know who, because at that point she passed out. The only thought on her mind was how she'd ended up in this situation. How did this happen? 

~~**~~

**NINE MONTHS BEFORE**

Hermione Granger, one of Harry Potter’s best friends, sat in her room at home, music playing over the sound of her parents scrambling around the house getting ready to leave for a party.

The summer holidays where great for Hermione, she spent most of it on her own. Since she turned 16 last year her parents had started to trust that she wouldn't set the house on fire, or at least blow it up. But with all things, there was a down side. Stuck at home was great, except that Hermione missed her friends, Harry, Ron and Ginny, but most of all she missed Harry.

For the last few years Hermione had looked at Harry differently. At first she though it was just a crush, all the other girls had it, Ginny in particular! Then she had tested the idea that she'd spent too much time with Ginny and the rest of the 'I love Harry Potter' Fan club, but she had to admit there was definitely something more than that going on, there was no denying she was in love with him.

'Hermione,' her mum popped her head in to her room to get her attention. 'We're off out now, are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?'

'Mum, I'm 17, not 7. I'll be fine,' Hermione replied, wishing her parents would prove they trusted her like they did her older brother.

'Okay sweetheart, don't stay up too late and don't play music beyond 9, you know the...'

'...boy next door goes to bed at 9. I know!' Hermione finished, causing her mum to smile.

'We'll be back around...'

'...midnight. If I need to call you, I have your mobile numbers and the number to where you're going is pinned to the fridge and if I have any small problems, Amy next door will help me out, and yes I have her number,' Hermione completed, holding up a post-it note with a telephone number on it. 'Mum, you've gone out every Saturday for that last six years, I know this already!' Her mum laughed and left, closing Hermione's door behind her. A few minutes later her dad was heard shouting his goodbyes and then closing the front door.

Hermione pushed her chair away from the computer desk and over to the window. She watched her parents get into the car and drive away before pushing herself back to her computer. She loaded up the game she had been playing and after a few minutes she gave up, turned up the music and moved over to her dresser. Digging into a draw she pulled out parchment, ink and quill and sat poised to write.

She wanted to write to Harry, just so she could look forward to his reply, but she couldn't think of an excuse to write to him. Would it look strange to write that she missed him? That she wanted to see him again? Would he figure out her feelings if she invited him to stay for a weekend without asking Ron to come as well?

She sat thinking for so long that a drop of ink hit the parchment and began to blot. She watched it, still thinking of what she could write, but soon concentrated only on the ink as it started to move on its own, forming words on the parchment.

_Would you like me to write your letter?_

Hermione sat stunned; someone was watching her!

_Mr. Potter would love to know what's on your mind!_

The ink had carried on; Hermione was torn between getting up to look for the witch or wizard who was spying on her and ripping up the parchment.

_Let me start for you:_

__

Dearest Harry, the summer has been long and drawn without you near me. I wish we could be together again, if only for a weekend, but I'm unsure of how you feel for me. Do you share my love for you...?

Hermione seized the parchment, ripped it into pieces and dropped it on her dresser. Looking up into the mirror above her she saw him, someone she never thought she'd be looking at, let alone in her room. She pulled in a quick breath before uttering a single word.

'Voldemort,' Hermione stood frozen in her spot as the Dark Lord of the wizarding world began to laugh, a cold loud laugh, but as suddenly as he had started he stopped, raised his wand and spoke a single word before vanishing, taking Hermione with him. 

~~**~~

'Hermione!' Amy, stood at Hermione's door banging to get attention. She held her phone in her other hand while she banged on the door and rang the doorbell. This was not like Hermione; she never played music beyond 9pm. She had always stopped so her son, Adam, could go to bed. Amy banged again and turned to look at Adam, who sat in the doorway to his home rocking back and forward with his fingers in his ears groaning at his need to sleep.

Slightly frustrated and worried, Amy banged again then stepped away from the door, looking up at Hermione's bedroom window. Her curtains were open as was her window, but only a little bit and her light was off, although there was a slight glow that she guessed was a candle. She was tempted to climb up there and see if she could at least look in, see if maybe Hermione had fallen and knocked herself out. She turned to go get her ladder but stopped when a pop behind her sounded.

Turning slowly, Amy found herself face to face with a very ragged man in his mid 40's, looking as though he hadn't slept in the last, well forever.

'Who are you?' Amy asked, studying the man a little more.

'Remus Lupin, I used to teach Hermione, just came to make sure she's alright,' Lupin offered, hoping this neighbour wouldn't ask too many questions, 'any idea how to get in?'

Very unsure about this man's intentions, Amy shook her head before speaking.

'Her window is open,' she said, pointing up to it, 'but I haven't been able to check around the back. I can't leave my boy,' she said, indicating Adam who hadn't changed how he sat at all.

'I'll check around the back and see if I can get in. I'll let you in if I can,' Lupin said, before turning and heading down the street towards the alley.

Lupin stepped out at the other end of the alley and counted the houses back to Hermione's. Opening the gate, he stepped in and was greeted by another man, a taller bigger built man wearing a hat that covered one of his eyes.

'Well?' he asked, pulling a hip flask from his inside pocket and taking a drink.

'The neighbour wants to get in; she's worried about Hermione too, anyway in?'

'Just the one,' Mad-eye Moody offered, pulling out his wand, tapping the lock to the back door and saying 'Alohomora,' the lock clicked open and they entered.

The dark rooms of the house made it hard for Remus to avoid hitting furniture, he gave up in the end and stayed close to Moody, whose magic eye seemed to give him the advantage of knowing where the furniture was.

Making it to the hall, Remus pulled open the front door after struggling with the lock and let Amy in. Then he and Moody followed her up the stairs to Hermione's room.

She had been right, in the corner of the room was a tall candle perched on an oddly shaped stand. Her computer was still on; the game she had played paused on the screen.

Amy walked quickly to the stereo where she turned off the music, then pushed open the window instructing Adam to shut the door and go to bed. While she did this, Moody stood in the doorway, his magic eye going mad out of sight. He was taking in Hermione's room, looking for signs of struggle, but didn't see anything until he spotted Remus standing beside her dresser.

Remus picked up a pile of parchment pieces, feeling slightly confused he studied them. There was no ink on them at all. He showed them to Moody who took them and put them to his nose, just Hermione's sweet smell was lingering on them.

'She did this a few hours ago,' Moody pointed out.

'Her parents left at 8,' Amy told them, having been watching Remus study her desk, which he was still doing. Pushing books and notes around, he spotted another piece of parchment. This stood out as Hermione had used Muggle paper instead of parchment on this desk. Remus picked up the parchment and unfolded it to read:

_Voldemort's guest!_

Remus handed it quickly to Moody who, having already seen the writing stuffed it in his pocket and turned from the room.

'Erm, you can go back to your house. We'll wait for Mr and Mrs Granger to return and let them know what's happened,' Remus said turning to Amy.

'Oh no you don't, you know what's going on here, you can tell me so I can call them and get them home now and call the police.'

'We've already called the police, but you are welcome to call the Grangers,' Moody had returned. 'Other than that I see no reason for you to waste your time here.'

'Now just wait a minute, I don't even know who you two are, I mean you told me your name...' Amy said pointing to Remus, '...but I haven't got a clue about you.'

'I am Alastor Moody, myself and Mr Lupin here were sent to protect Miss Granger. We were pulled from our lookout at 8:53 this evening to what turned out to be a false alarm. On our return we found no sign of Miss Granger, but instead found you banging the door down,' Moody filled Amy in, but not telling her everything.

'Protect her from what?'

'Hermione knows something about someone very powerful. We've been making sure they don't try and kill her,' Lupin put in, hoping he didn't sound too much like he'd been watching movies though Muggle windows.

'I'll call the Grangers from my house, and get them to come home.'

'Thank you,' Remus said, watching her leave the room. When he was sure she couldn't hear them, he approached Moody. 'Did you send the message?'

'Yes, the other Order members should be here soon,' Moody said, watching Remus drop onto Hermione's bed and cover his face with his hands.

It felt like hours had passed, but really only a few minutes, before the members of the Order came to search for clues to where the Dark Lord might have taken the Hogwarts student; but they found nothing and left to report to Dumbledore. Remus, and this time Arthur Weasley, waited for Mr and Mrs Granger to return. 

Remus sat in the front room as he had done in Hermione's room, his head in his hands, worry on his face. Arthur on the other hand was pre-occupied with the many gadgets and gismos that the Grangers had. He delighted in the keyboard and mouse at the computer in the study and was currently busy trying to work out the function of an electric toothbrush when the door opened and Mr and Mrs Granger entered their home.

Footsteps on the stairs told the waiting pair that someone had gone to see if it was true, that their daughter had really been taken from her room. The other, Mr Granger, stepped into the front room.

'What happened? Where is she?'

'We don't know, but Professor Dumbledore is doing his best to locate her,' Arthur answered, the toothbrush gone from his mind.

'You said you'd be here to watch her; we kept it a secret that you were watching her in the first place and you couldn't even protect her. What is this Dark Lord going to do to her?' Mr Granger asked as his wife entered the front room.

'We're sorry for what happened, but we were led to believe that Albus Dumbledore had requested we return to the Order Headquarters. On doing so we found this to be untrue and came back as quickly as we could,' Remus offered, now feeling the full extent of the guilt he felt in the first place.

'NOT QUICK ENOUGH!' Mr Granger bellowed, causing his wife to jump at his side.

'I don't believe that shouting, or making Professor Lupin feel any worse than he already does will bring Miss Granger back,' Dumbledore had entered the conversation; he stood in the hallway behind the Grangers, unseen and unheard by all in front of him. 'My current aim; is to return Miss Granger to safety. She is still a Hogwarts student and so long as that statement is true, she will remain my responsibility. However, I cannot return her, if you insist on shouting at two of my people,' Dumbledore smiled.

'How long will it take to find her?' Mrs Granger asked, one hand held tight to her husband in an effort to keep him calm.

'That all depends on Voldemort. He may keep her hidden, in which case it could take some time, or he may return her, perhaps here, or somewhere I would find her,' Dumbledore replied keeping the smile firmly on his face.

'Will he hurt her?' Mr Granger piped in, now calmer than he felt.

'I believe not. The reason for taking your daughter is to reach another of my students, one currently out of Voldemort's reach and someone to whom Miss Granger cares deeply for. Now, if I may,' Dumbledore asked, producing his wand from nowhere as only he can. 'I will leave this owl in your care...' he added, tapping the air to create the small owl, 'and should Miss Granger re-appear here at any time, I would like for you to send me a letter,' Dumbledore finished, his smile still firmly on his face, calm as ever, then bowed to the Grangers before vanishing silently from sight.

Mr Granger turned to look at Arthur and Remus only to find that they too had disappeared. 

~~**~~

Harry sat bolt upright in his bed; sweat pouring down his face, his bed sheets had been kicked off the bed and his bedside table empty from its content.

Harry reached down to the floor for his glasses, pushed them onto his sticky face and took a good look around his room, thinking. What had he been dreaming about? Whatever it was, he couldn't remember it, but for some reason, he had a bad feeling that Hermione was hurt, or frightened.

Breathing deeply, Harry pushed himself out of bed and went to sit at his desk. His open window was supplying him with a cool breeze that was aiding against his temperature, he looking around his desk he spotted the box of Every Flavour Beans Hermione had sent him with his birthday present, the latest book about Quidditch, “The Quidditch Know-It-All” by Dusty N. Sweepy.

Picking up the box, he pulled off the card Hermione had attached to it.

__

Just a little something extra to keep you going. Lots of Love  
Hermione

Harry kept the card in his hand, cooled down, and returned to bed, his eyes drooping as he moved. His head had barely hit the pillow before he was asleep again, Hermione's card in his hand, glasses on and the feeling of dread still playing on his brain.

Asleep as he was, Harry had a restless night; tossing and turning he woke at 7am as sweaty and afraid as he had been earlier.

He dressed quietly, assuming the Dursley’s where still asleep as there was no noise in the house, and made his way downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs Harry stopped. Something wasn't right; at this time of the morning, Aunt Petunia should be up, the breakfast cooking and the Coffee percolating. Uncle Vernon should be sitting at the kitchen table (which Harry could see from where he stood), a paper open in his hands and complaining about whatever news was being reported at that time. But there was nothing.

Harry stepped off the bottom step and walked slowly down the hallway to the kitchen, questions buzzing in his head. Had they over slept? Had they gone out and not told him again?

Stepping carefully into the kitchen, Harry let out a scream as someone grabbed him from behind, pulled at his hair and then left with a sharp POP!

Harry fell to the floor panting. He remained there for a few moments listening to the sound of Uncle Vernon clambering out of bed and coming down the stairs. Harry's scream had obviously woken the Dursley’s.

Before Uncle Vernon could reach the bottom of the stairs, Harry pulled himself to his feet.

'What on Earth are you playing at?' a pink faced Vernon bellowed as he rounded the bottom of the stairs and started down the hallway towards Harry.

'I, erm, I thought I saw someone in the garden,' Harry lied, not wanting to admit that there had been someone in the house. Uncle Vernon watched him obviously trying to decide if he was lying or not and eventually gave in.

'Get your eyes checked!' Vernon barked and headed back to the stairs, 'and start the breakfast,' he added stomping up the stairs. 

~~**~~

Hermione lay still in the middle of an unknown street on her left side. She kept her eyes closed; she didn't really know why, she just couldn't believe what had and was happening. Not only had the Dark Lord taken her from her home, but he had also forced her to drink something thick and black, which now seethed through her body like an infectious snake. Despite the fact that Hermione was shivering in the cold early morning air, her skin felt as if it had been burned and her clothes where clinging tighter to her than normal. The combination of all this was causing her to feel sick and dizzy, one of the reasons she had yet to move.

Behind her, someone started shouting, and before she knew it there were footsteps behind her. She heard someone approach and felt them as they bent behind her and looked over to see if she was awake.

'Who is she?' Hermione heard a small child ask.

'Don't know,' answered a man's voice from very close behind her, obviously the person who came to check if she was awake. 'Kate, go to the school grounds, see if the headmaster is around and if not get the gamekeeper. Be quick now.'

The child's footsteps where heard for a short time before they were blocked out by a murmuring that started in a gathered crowd.

'Do you think she's a witch or a Muggle?' Hermione heard someone ask, followed by 'Do you think Dumbledore will know who she is?' At this Hermione decided she needed to move. Dumbledore would help her; if she was near to the school then this could be Hogsmeade.

Attempting to push herself from the ground, Hermione found she had no movement in her arms or legs. She tried again but with the same result. She gave in and gave a whimper, something that must have been loud as the crowd suddenly stopped talking.

Taking a deep breath Hermione muttered a single word; the one she wanted everyone to know had done this, 'Voldemort,' the surrounding crowd gave a collective gasp and Hermione heard the sound of footsteps growing closer before passing out. 

~~**~~

Harry was back at his desk; the Daily Prophet lay open in front of him, but he wasn't reading it. His eyes were closed and he had his temples resting in his palms. Harry was slowly drifting into a silent sleep. He could see Hermione, in a chair in some unknown otherwise empty room. Her face twisted in pain, tears streaming down her face as someone moved back a steaming goblet in their hands.

Harry's head hit the desk and he woke again sweating from the experience. He didn't like it anymore; he needed to know. Opening his drawer, Harry pulled out 3 pieces of parchment, his ink and quill.

On the first piece, he scribbled a quick letter to Hermione. He told her that he had a bad dream about her being tortured and was waiting for a reply to let him know she was well. He was careful with what he wrote so he wouldn't scare her.

On the second, he wrote to Ron, asking when the last time he heard from Hermione was. This time he explained the dreams he'd had in a little more detail and finished with, 'Please tell me you've heard from her today.'

On the last Harry wrote a long letter explaining the two dreams and the feelings he'd had. He addressed this one to Dumbledore, then crossed out the name and wrote it to Remus Lupin. He toyed with the idea of changing the name back before leaving it, stuffing it in an envelope and climbing out of his chair.

He turned to Hedwig's cage to find it empty; it always seemed to be empty when Harry was desperate to get his letters on the move. He was thinking fast, if she didn't return soon, where could he go to send the letters? He didn't know any postal addresses for any of them, and didn't know of any witches or wizards in the area he could ask to borrow an owl from. Harry was resigned to going to see Mrs. Figg, when Hedwig glided gracefully back through his open window.

Hurriedly, Harry gave her some owl treats and then instructed her to take the letters to each person in turn and watched as she glided out the window. When she was out of sight, Harry's eyes fell on the open Daily Prophet on his desk, the article at the top of the page catching his attention. It read:

__

WITCH VANISHES FROM MUGGLE HOME

Hogwarts student, Hermione Granger, vanished last night from her Muggle home in London. Ministry of Magic received the report of the missing 17 year old approximately half and hour after her disappearance. However by this report Miss Granger had been missing for over half an hour.

A Ministry representative commenting on the disappearance said, 'We're doing our best to locate Miss Granger and we're positive that nothing horrible has happened to her,' after further questioning the Ministry representative said: 'We would like any witch or wizard with information about what happened to Miss Granger to come forward, we only have a few clues to her disappearance and none of them explain where she went.'

Harry was about to explode with the information he had read and without really thinking about what he was doing he seized his wand and coat and made his way quickly down the stairs, pulled open the front door and slammed it behind him.

Out on the street, Harry walked quickly in the direction of the nearest train station, but slowed down as he turned onto Magnolia Crescent. There was one problem with this sudden need to go somewhere, he had no Muggle money and not only that, where would he go? 

~~**~~

'Ron, Ginny, come down here, you need to see this,' Mrs Weasley's voice carried up the stairs as it usually did, sounding like she was using a horn that ended right outside their doors.

Ron made it down first; half asleep he slumped into a chair and groaned.

'What?'

'Read this!' Mrs Weasley answered, pushing the Daily Profit towards him open on the page of Hermione's report. 'Then go get dressed quickly,' she said as Ginny joined her brother at the table.

'"Werewolf loose in Indiana",' Ron read out. 'So what? Lupin's in England, not America,' Ron said receiving a slap around the head from Ginny who had been reading over his shoulder.

'Not that, THAT,' she said pointing the article with a picture of Hermione next to it. Ron read quickly and sat stunned in his seat.

'Go get dressed we need to go see Professor Dumbledore,' Mrs Weasley repeated.

'She's gone? Just gone?' Ron said a little concerned that the report was too real. 'Doesn't anyone know where?'

'Dumbledore said he had little information. He wants us to meet with him and he's sending someone to get Harry, now will you both go and get dressed?'

Ginny made the first move this time. She pulled Ron out of his chair and off up the stairs. Ron had picked up the Daily Prophet as he went, still re-reading the article over and over; it was only when Ginny pulled it from his hands that he took his eyes off it.

'Get dressed or we'll go find out about Hermione without you,' Ginny ordered, sounding very much like her mother. Ron gave her a quick look and noticed she was fully dressed, having had the chance to dress and return to the hall while Ron kept reading, then turned back to the stairs to go get changed. 

~~**~~

Hagrid had been sitting down to eat breakfast, he cooked for himself when the summer holidays where on and the elves at the castle spent more time cleaning than cooking, but his meal had been interrupted by the banging on his door. Pushing himself up out of his seat, he had moved to the door and pulled it open. He was about to ask the small girl who stood on his step what she wanted when she started to explain anyway.

'Hagrid, you have to come, there's a girl in the street, she might be a Muggle, and she looks hurt!' the girl had shouted, and then sped off back towards Hogsmeade.

Hagrid had grabbed his coat and pushed the door open wider. Jogging to keep with the child, who was very quick on her feet, Hagrid caught sight of the crowd midway down the street. As he approached he had to pushed people out of the way to get closer and bent down to see who was lying there. Without explaining anything, Hagrid had swept Hermione into his arms and started back to the castle at a run.

Kicking the door of the hospital wing open, Hagrid called furiously for Madam Pomfrey. Hermione was wrapped tightly in blankets cradled in his arms. Hagrid approached the first bed and laid Hermione carefully onto it as Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall came out of the office.

'What is it Hagrid?' Madam Pomfrey asked, stepping out of the office ahead of the others. She didn't really need an answer; seeing that Hagrid was placing someone carefully on the bed she hurried over, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall following closely.

'She was found in Hogsmeade, they didn't know if she was a witch or Muggle, she's been laying in the street for at least 10 minutes, shivering. Her skin's hot though, I couldn't touch her to pick her up so I had to ask for the blankets,' Hagrid explained as Madam Pomfrey started to separate the covers over the unconscious student on the bed.

'Quick Hagrid, fetch Professor Dumbledore and if you meet the Weasley’s on your way stop the children from coming in and tell Molly we need her help,' Professor McGonagall ordered helping Madams Hooch and Pomfrey as they started to undo Hermione's clothing. Hagrid turned to leave the room quickly as he heard Madam Pomfrey exclaim.

'If the Dark Lord has done what he planned to her, we need to get these clothes off before her skin is signed with the mark.'

Hagrid had barely made it half way down the corridor before Professors Dumbledore and Snape appeared both of them seemingly in a hurry.

'Professor Dumbledore, sir, I was just coming to get yer,' Hagrid said, a little shocked to find him so quickly.

'Yes, yes Hagrid, Professor Snape informed me that you passed him with Miss Granger,' Dumbledore said giving Snape a look that told Hagrid he had used the word 'barged' instead of passed, which Hagrid had done in his haste to reach the Hospital Wing.

'Erm, you might not want to go in just yet Professor,' Hagrid said, keeping the way between Dumbledore and the Hospital Wing blocked. 'They were... erm... changing Hermione's clothes as I left,' Hagrid urged. Dumbledore merely bowed his head at Hagrid and moved past him.

Stepping into the Hospital wing behind Dumbledore, Hagrid was shocked to see the bed he had minutes ago laid Hermione down on was blocked from view. Professor McGonagall appeared from behind the screen and approached them; she looked as though something terrible had happened, like she did when she announced that the school might be closed when the Chamber of Secrets had been re-opened years ago.

'I'm afraid we're too late Albus, the mark is already on her skin,' she said, addressing the headmaster.

'To which person does it connect?' Dumbledore asked and waited for her reply. Professor McGonagall took a deep breath before replying with:

'Harry Potter.' 

~~**~~

Harry Potter had been wandering the streets near Privet Drive for over an hour now. He had left the Dursley’s in a hurry after reading an article telling him that Hermione Granger had vanished from her home. He didn't know where he was going, he didn't know where Hermione lived or how to get to any wizards he knew, and worst of all, Harry had no Muggle money to buy train tickets with.

Harry came to a stop and flopped down onto a bench and looked around. There were no people around which was strange for the time of day. Most people would be heading to work by now, but it was surprisingly quiet out.

The silence and stillness was making Harry restless. He didn't like being out of the loop when his friends where in trouble, and he hated it even more when he had no way of knowing where anyone was. Frustrated, Harry got to his feet again, walked to the end of the street, turned left and walked right into someone.

'Sorry,' Harry murmured turning to walk around the person.

'Don't wanna get away from the Muggles then?' a voice beside him said. Harry stopped and turned to look at the person he had walked into. It was none other than Remus Lupin. Harry opened his mouth to talk but found he couldn't find any words, seeing Lupin here of all places was just a little out of the ordinary.

'Come on Harry, lets go get your things, Dumbledore wants to see you,' Remus said, taking Harry by the arm and heading back around the corner and past the bench Harry had just left. Just before they reached the Dursley’s house, Harry managed to find his voice and asked the one question that was playing deeply on his mind.

'What happened to Hermione?'

'I'm not exactly the best person to answer that question Harry, I think Dumbledore would do better at explaining than me,' Remus said, giving Harry a weak smile. 'Let's just get your things together for someone to collect and then we can go to the school,' he added stepping up to the door of Number Four Privet Drive.

Harry nodded, pushed the door open and stepped inside. Aunt Petunia was visible sitting at the kitchen table; she was reading a letter. Harry pulled Remus inside quickly and shut the door with a snap. This got the attention of his aunt; she looked up and gave a startled cry at the sight of the tatty stranger in her house. Worriedly she approached them, not sure what to make of him, or how to react around him. She smiled faintly and asked:

'Are you here to pick up the boy?' She indicated to Harry, still making him feel as though he was a piece of dirt that looked worse than the man behind him.

'Yes, I'm here to pick up Harry. He'll be staying at the school from now until the end of his exams and then he'll be given a place to live in a wizard town,' Remus said, causing Harry to look at him in pure delight.

'Okay, well, you better go pack all your things Harry,' she said, not taking her eyes off the man before her. 'I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?' she asked, causing Harry to stop mid movement as he turned towards the stairs. Frozen like a statue Harry waited for the reason his aunt would recognise Remus.

'Yes,' he said and Harry had to move slightly, the shock of the answer causing him to almost lose his balance. 'I used to visit Lily in the holidays with James and Sirius.'

'Yes, I remember Sirius,' Aunt Petunia said, a slight whimper in her voice. 'He was that troublemaker, always playing tricks on me! And you....' she uttered, not really wanted to recall him; she'd almost forgotten him. She never carried on her sentence, so Harry turned to look at her and was stunned to see a small attraction between the two. Not really wanting to see this anymore because it was making him feel sick, he took hold of Remus' arm and pulled him up the stairs.

Once inside his room, Harry shut the door and turned quickly to Remus.

'You dated my aunt?' he asked.

'Yes Harry, but only for a few weeks in the holiday’s years ago,' he answered and seeing the disgusted look on Harry's face he added, 'but we never could get along very well, she was always under the impression that we were all bad.'

Harry didn't move; he couldn't believe it. Remus Lupin, one of his dad's best friends and his Aunt. The thought was turning his stomach over and over. It was only when Remus picked up the Daily Prophet left open on Harry's desk that he remember what they were here for in the first place and he began to gather his things up and drop them unceremoniously into his school trunk.

'So, let me get this straight,' Harry started. Remus closed his eyes; he really didn't want to go into detail about this relationship right here and now. 'Hermione disappeared from her home last night...' he started, much to Remus' relief, 'and you've come to take me from here for the last time and get me to Hogwarts with all my things?' Harry finished.

'Not quite, I'm here to take you to Hogwarts as quickly as I can, but you need to get your things together for someone to pick up,' Remus corrected.

'I'm not sure my aunt or uncle will appreciate a witch or wizard knocking on the door for my things at any time of the day, or night for that matter. Although, it would be nice to see Uncle Vernon red with anger one last time,' he added, stopping at the thought, but the image of Uncle Vernon, bright red and yelling himself hoarse at some stranger standing at the door dressed in robes was pushed to the side by a picture of Hermione sat up in a chair, a look of pain on her face and tears running down her pale cheeks. Blinking the image away, Harry seized a pile of fresh clothes from a draw, pulled out the draw of his desk and tipped the content into his trunk.

When he was done collecting all his things, Remus pulled out his wand and cast a hover charm on Harry's trunk, then pushed it out of his room and down the stairs. Aunt Petunia re-appeared in the hall, she was smiling naturally this time as she looked at Harry.

'Well, I guess this is goodbye Harry,' she said, and Harry's face twisted in confusion. 'I know we didn't exactly make things easy for you here, but at least you turned out alright,' Harry couldn't believe it, was this really his aunt? He was looking at her with interest, and nearly choked on air as she pulled him into a tight hug. When she let him go again, Harry had managed to pull his face into what he thought was a natural smile and said.

'Well, goodbye then,' and turned to the door. 'Oh, someone will come and get that for me later, is that okay?' he asked and was still wondering if this really was his aunt when she nodded. Harry turned to the door and quickly stepped outside, not quite sure what to make of all that and very glad it was all over.

Out on the street, Remus led the way down towards an alley and turned suddenly into it. Harry followed. Once deep inside the alley, Remus pulled out his wand and a piece of paper, told Harry to take hold of it, tapped it and they both vanished. 

~~**~~

Ron pulled himself up from the fireplace, having just arrived though the fire in Dumbledore's office. He, Ginny and Molly Weasley pulled the door to the empty room open and made their way down the stairs and out into the school corridors. Molly was about to ask her children where Dumbledore would be if not in his office, when he turned the corner and stopped right in front of them.

'Molly, you're needed in the hospital wing immediately; I shall join you in a moment. If you two would be so kind as to wait in your common room, someone will come and explain everything that is happening to you later. The password is”flobberworm”,' Dumbledore said, passing them and stepping up the first few steps to his office. Molly hurried away quickly, leaving a bewildered Ginny and Ron in the middle of the corridor.

'Well then, Gryffindor Tower it is,' Ron said and turned to start down a corridor when Dumbledore re-emerged from his office and rushed quickly past them. They noticed as he went that he held a potion in his hand, and giving each other a quick look, started towards the common room.

Back in the hospital wing, Molly had been given the task of re-clothing Hermione. She gave a small sob as she pulled a pair of pyjama bottoms up over a mark on her stomach; the mark that indicated the dark work of Lord Voldemort and connection between Hermione and Harry. Molly found this mark to be horrifying. The mark was a skull, the same skull Voldemort delighted in using, only with bright red eyes. Out of the skull's mouth shot a lightning bolt of pure gold, an icon that could only point to the famous Harry Potter and the scar he had received as a child. Behind both of these things however, was a book. A simple item that Hermione would be pleased to have imbedded on her skin, if only it came without the skull and lightning bolt.

Struggling slightly as she pulled the top onto Hermione, Molly gave another sob. She couldn't believe it had happened. The potion Voldemort had given Hermione was illegal, and had only ever been given to one other person, Lily Potter, and only then as a joke. Sirius Black had slipped it into her drink before she arrived for breakfast on the last day of school. She had been extremely ill for three days, but there was a good side. It brought the Potters together to begin with. 

~~**~~

Harry found himself in the middle of Hogsmeade. A few feet away from where he was standing next to Remus was the Three Broomsticks, the pub he, Ron and Hermione visited whenever the school would allow them out over the weekends. He turned slowly around taking in the familiar sight of Zonko's Joke Shop, Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, the post office and Honeydukes sweet shop. In the distance Harry could make out the Shrieking Shack where he had first met his godfather, Sirius Black, and not far from there was the usual loom of the a giant castle that could only be Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Remus had already started walking while Harry looked around, so Harry had to run to catch up with him. It didn't take them very long to reach the school gates at the speed they walked. Once inside the grounds they jogged quickly to the doors and pulled them open. Professor Dumbledore had been pacing the floor of the Entrance Hall waiting for them.

'Thank you Remus,' he smiled and Remus made his way past Dumbledore, up the stairs and out of sight. 'If you will please come with me Harry, we need to have a little chat,' he spoke to Harry before turning and following Remus up the stairs. Harry followed him as he led the way, he didn't say a word or concentrate on where they were going. He was too pre-occupied with questions about Hermione.

Before he knew it, Harry found himself following Dumbledore into the hospital wing. He looked around and spotting Hermione lying on a bed, he let out a cry and ran to her side, seizing her hand as he reached her. Harry looked back at Dumbledore for an explanation, which he got.

'She is well, just sleeping,' Dumbledore said, moving to the other side of Hermione's bed and taking a seat. 'Last night, Harry, Lord Voldemort paid Miss Granger a visit, the result of which we won't fully know until she wakes, but she was found this morning in Hogsmeade. The villagers where unsure if she was a Muggle or a witch so they sent for someone here to find out if we knew,' Dumbledore said, watching Harry as he watched Hermione sleep.

'Do you know why he picked her? Why not someone else?' Harry asked, the frustration slowly building again.

'I have to confess that we knew the attempt would be made on someone close to you, but we were unsure who it would be,' Dumbledore wasn't sure how he could possibly explain it any better.

'Do you know what he did to her?' Harry asked not taking his eyes off Hermione's peacefully sleeping face.

'Yes, and unfortunately it was neither good nor bad. Voldemort, it seems, knows a little more about your feelings than we thought. It seems he picked Miss Granger because you have very deep feelings for her,' Dumbledore said quietly, noticing that Harry wasn't really listening all that closely and was surprised when Harry corrected him.

'I love her,' he whispered. Dumbledore picked up a book that was on Hermione's bedside table and flicked it open at a marked page.

'Voldemort made this potion, Harry,' he said, handing the book to him and waiting while he read the page.

'I don't understand,' Harry said looking up, perplexed, after a few minutes of reading.

'This particular potion is created from the ingredients listed and something of one person. I have no idea how Voldemort got hold of something of yours though,' Dumbledore added, hoping Harry could explain it.

'Someone was in the house this morning, really early, pulled some of my hairs out,' Harry said quickly, wishing Dumbledore would hurry up and finish telling him what was going on, or at least get to the point.

'The drinker of this potion becomes pregnant with the person to whom the potion was made. But there is a delay, 10 minutes before it takes effect, 10 minutes, that is, to drink the antidote,' Dumbledore said, giving Harry a look that too clearly told him that they were too late to give Hermione this antidote.

Harry opened his mouth to say something. Unable to find words he gave up and closed his mouth again and just looked down at the book still in his hands.

'It says it gives the drinker a mark, a merging of the people whose being was within the potion,' he read out and looked at Dumbledore. 'Where is it?' Dumbledore moved slightly in his seat and pulled the covers down over Hermione. Leaving them resting on her legs, he pulled her top up slightly to reveal the mark on the left side of her lower stomach. Harry had to stand up to look at the mark and immediately regretted asking to see it at once. 'A skull, Voldemort's mark,' Harry said, anger rising.

'Correct, however, we don't know for sure that Voldemort included himself in the potion. It could simply be that you have some of him within yourself,' Dumbledore explained, dropping Hermione's top back into place and covering her up again.

'Does she know?' Harry asked after a moment of calming himself.

'I am unsure what she knows. When she wakes, I will speak with her alone before I tell her the full extent of what has happened.'

'I want to be here. Please Professor, I need to be here,' Harry said calmly and watched as Dumbledore nodded his approval. 'He used her,' Harry spat, letting his built up frustration out. 'He used her to get to me, and he's gonna use our baby,' Dumbledore was slightly taken aback with Harry's choice of words. He was angrier and more worried that Voldemort would use them again than he was that there would a smaller version of himself and Hermione in nine months time.

'Come on Harry, I think we need to go and have some lunch. Madam Pomfrey will inform us when she is awake,' Dumbledore said, pulling himself to his feet and making his way to the door. He stopped just before it and turned to make sure Harry would follow. Harry had gotten to his feet, but hadn't turned to follow straight away. Instead, he leaned down and kissed Hermione on the forehead, then straightened up and followed Dumbledore out of the room. 

~~**~~

Harry was silent all though lunch. Dumbledore tried several times to start a conversation that involved Harry, but whenever it reached him it died out. He sat at the table in the middle of the Great Hall along with Mrs Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hooch and Snape. Harry hardly ate, but each one of them, including Snape, urged him to do so. The fact that Snape had tried to talk Harry into eating was lost on him, but Ron and Ginny nearly feel out of their seats.

Harry's silence, however, didn't cause the room to be that way. Ron and Ginny kept randomly asking questions about what was going on. After several of these questions, Molly got extremely annoyed with the impatience of her children and began to shout at them.

When it was over, Harry followed his best friend and Ginny up to the Common Room. But it had taken Dumbledore's word that he would be notified if anything changed. Once in the Common Room, Ron and Ginny repeated their questions, but to deaf ears as Harry had walked past them and disappeared up the boy’s staircase and dropped face down on a bed. He lay dead still for a moment then punched at his pillow repeatedly before letting out a frustrated scream, which caused Ron and Ginny to appear quickly in the dormitory. They stopped dead near Harry's bed and watched him, face down screaming into his pillow. Ginny began to cry silently. She didn't like to see anyone in pain, let alone Harry, and he was obviously suffering now.

'Harry? You alright mate?' Ron asked and Harry stopped screaming to lift his head.

'Just perfect,' he said and his face hit the pillow again. 'Voldemort using Hermione to get to me,' he shouted into his pillow.

'Is she okay?' Ginny sobbed, hoping the answer was good. She'd spent the whole time they were there thinking that Hermione was dead, and when she found out that Hermione was in the school, she thought perhaps she was dying. Now she dreaded that Voldemort was using her as a timer and that when it hit zero she would die, unless Harry went to him.

'She's fine,' Harry said, giving her an off hand wave. 'She's just pregnant.'

'Pregnant!' Ron and Ginny proclaimed at the same time. 'How can she be pregnant?' Ron asked after exchanging a look with Ginny. Harry rolled on to his bed and fixed his gaze on the ceiling.

'Voldemort made her drink a potion that made her pregnant,' Harry said not wanting to go into more detail.

'It's your baby isn't it, Harry?' Ginny said, getting to the point and watching Harry as he slowly nodded.

'Wait, wait, how can drinking a potion make her pregnant with your child?' Ron asked. 'I mean, it's a liquid, so unless it had some of you.... Ohhhhhh,' Ron said and sat abruptly down on his bed. 'He put something of you in it,' Ron finished. They sat in silence for a few more minutes and just as Ron opened him mouth to say something, the door to the dormitory opened and Professor McGonagall stepped in.

'Potter, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in the Hospital Wing,' she said and turned to leave. She had barely made it to the bottom of the stairs when Harry went running past her. He pushed the portrait open and vanished out of sight.

Had this been a different situation, Harry would have congratulated himself on arriving at the Hospital Wing in the fastest possible time. But he was more concerned with his best friend lying on the other side of the door to think about that. He pushed the door open and saw Hermione sitting up in bed. Dumbledore wasn't in sight, Harry had got here first.

'Harry,' she said, looking as though she would cry. Harry closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her before she could say anymore. Hermione was a little shocked at this, but only for a second. As soon as Harry had said it was okay, she started to cry into his shoulder.

Dumbledore stepped into the Hospital Wing unheard. He watched the two teenagers for a moment with a smile on his face before approaching. He cleared his throat as he got nearer and the pair broke apart. Seeing the stream of tears running down Hermione's face, Dumbledore picked up a box of tissues from off the side and offered them to her. Hermione took a tissue with a sniff and slight forced smile.

'Now, Miss Granger, I know this will not be very pleasant, but I need you to tell me everything that has happened between the times your parents left last night and the first time you woke up here,' Dumbledore smiled hoping to keep her calm so she would tell him enough. Hermione looked worriedly at Harry; recalling the events of the previous night was the very last thing she wanted to do.

'It's okay Hermione, I'm here!' Harry reassured her, giving her hand a quick squeeze. Hermione took a breath and let it out slowly before she started.

'Perhaps you should start with your reason for the ripped up parchment,' Dumbledore suggested seeing the fear on Hermione's face.

'I was going to write a letter, but didn't know where to start,' Hermione explained. 'I ripped it up in frustration,' she added shrugging.

'And at what point did you notice that Voldemort was in your room?' Dumbledore urged.

'When I gave up writing, I stood up and I could see him in my mirror. He laughed and muttered something and.... and...' Hermione broke off tears streaming down her face; Harry gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

'Where did he take you?' Dumbledore asked as Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, Molly Weasley and someone who was obviously a Healer from St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries entered.

'I don't know where it was, a house somewhere, I was only in the one room, and the windows were covered so I couldn't see out,' Hermione paused, trying hard to remember. 'Wormtail tied me to a chair after Voldemort told him to, and there were others there in the room, I couldn't see them, but Voldemort always spoke to them,' out of the corner of his eye Harry caught the flinches of Fudge and the Healer every time Voldemort's name was used.

'What was he saying?' Dumbledore asked.

'He was explaining why I was there,' Hermione said, now keeping her eyes fixed on Dumbledore so she wouldn't have to look at Harry. 'He told them that I was the one that would lead them to Harry, that...' Hermione took a breath '... that my feelings for him gave him a reason to repeat what had happened before. There was a cauldron there, with a potion made. Voldemort told them he was missing one ingredient that it had to be added fresh at the start of the day,' Hermione was crying hard by this point, she really didn't want to recall the experience, but knew she would only have to talk about it once.

'Did they leave you there until morning?' Fudge asked only to receive a nod from Hermione.

'They came back, added the last ingredient...' Hermione gulped, 'and forced me to drink it,' behind Harry, Molly Weasley had been trying to get closer to Hermione, but was being held back by Fudge. Dumbledore stood up and moved around to Harry's side of the bed.

'Miss Granger,' Fudge addressed her directly, 'this is Healer Emily Moon. She is here to make sure you are well; then explain what the Dark Lord has done, with Mrs Weasley's help of course,' Fudge introduced the Healer at his side then turned to Harry. 'Come on Harry, you can show me where Gryffindor Tower is,' Dumbledore pulled Harry from his chair as Healer Moon moved forward, and pushed aside the chair Harry had just left.

'Right, Hermione, if the Dark Lord has done what we think, then you and I will be meeting up a lot,' Emily said with a smile.

'What has he done to me?' Hermione asked, looking between Emily and Molly.

'Erm, lets just make sure your well first, Hermione,' Molly said looking worriedly at the tear streaks on Hermione's face.


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed like a very long walk back to Gryffindor Common Room; Harry's mind was back in the hospital wing wondering what tests the Healer was doing on Hermione.

It didn't seem to bother Cornelius Fudge walking behind Harry, who out of no where would say, 'Oh I didn't know about this passage when I was at school,' after Harry would turn suddenly and disappear though a tapestry or behind a statue.

Outside the Common Room, the Fat Lady accepted his password, which he mumbled the first time making her ask for it again, and Harry had almost shouted it at her. She gave him a disapproving look and swung forward to admit them.

Inside, Ron and Ginny where involved in a game of Exploding Snap, which seemed to be going nowhere, with only the two of them playing it seemed like winning was far too easy. Ron had most of the cards in his hands when they entered and he didn't take his eyes away from the game, he just started talking.

'Hey Harry, wanna play?' Harry muttered an incoherent 'no' and disappeared up the stairs while Fudge pulled a chair over to the table and made himself comfortable.

Harry dragged each foot up the stairs, the sound of Exploding Snap going on behind them. Fudge had obviously just had the cards explode on him as he let out a loud 'ahhhh' followed by a lot of laughter.

Stepping into the dormitory, Harry took a good look around. He'd stayed in this same room every year since joining Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry almost six years ago. It had always looked the same, not that he had bothered in the last five and a half years to take a good look. Today though, it looked completely different. It didn't feel right that he was up here, in the middle of summer, while Hermione was suffering with the unknown back in the Hospital Wing. That at this very moment, she could be finding out what Voldemort had done to her and here he was back in his dormitory listening to a game of Exploding Snap going on in the Common Room below.

Harry walked over to his bed and as he had done before, he dropped down onto it, face buried in his pillow and screamed. He needed to let his frustration out somehow. Below him he heard voices and a halt in the game, Fudge had obviously asked what the noise was and Ron and Ginny had told him because the game continued.

Harry wanted to do so many things at that moment in time, his head was buzzing. He wanted to move, just walk anywhere as fast as he could; he wanted to hit something or someone (Voldemort came to mind); also sitting with someone who could answer questions, so many questions making the buzzing in his head even worse; and at the same time be back in the Hospital Wing with Hermione. But most of all, Harry wanted for the first time in his life to be back at the Dursley’s and have none of this happen.

Harry turned over onto his back and stared up one of the posts to his four-poster bed, and listened as someone else entered the Common Room; from where he was though, he couldn't tell who. Footsteps started up the stairs and the door creaked open.

'Harry,' Ron's voice came from the open doorway. 'Professor Dumbledore wants you down in the Common Room,' he said and turned to leave. His mind disconnected from the rest of his body, Harry got up and made his way down to the Common Room. He'd done this twice now; been up in the dormitory for a scream then called back down, he wondered if he'd ever be left alone.

Back in the Common Room, Harry saw the back of Ginny climbing though the portrait hole and vanishing. Looking around quickly, he noticed that Ron had gone too. Dumbledore was now sitting where Ginny once had and Ron's seat was left empty; Fudge was still there though.

Looking over at him, Dumbledore beckoned Harry to sit in the vacated chair opposite him. Harry stood for a moment; he didn't know what to make of this situation. He definitely didn't want to talk about it right now either, and especially not with Dumbledore and Fudge. Moving slowly, Harry took the seat opposite and waited in silence for what was coming.

'Harry, we need to have a very serious talk about the situation that has arisen,' Fudge said and Harry let himself flop back into his seat. 'Harry, under a normal situation, the Ministry would advise Professor Dumbledore to expel both yourself and Miss Granger, and I have no doubt in my mind that if this situation were different, he would have done so,' Harry looked horrified and opened his mouth several times to speak, Fudge opened his mouth to speak again and it was at this time that Harry found his voice.

'You're gonna expel us for something Voldemort did?' Harry said, spitting Voldemort's name out as if it was breaking out of his mouth.

'Harry, you misunderstand,' Dumbledore said; Fudge had been taken aback by Harry's outbreak. 'This situation is unlike any that has ever happened. It is extremely dangerous for anyone to practice and learn magic while they carry a child. If a spell backfired on the carrier, it could be dangerous. But...' Dumbledore said quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth. 'But, if I were to expel you both at this time, then I may as well hand you to Voldemort myself,' Harry looked completely confused; was he being expelled, would he and Hermione be forced out into the real world without their final qualification? Or was Dumbledore going to suggest something else?

'Yes. Well,' Fudge said, a little lost in what he had intended to say. 'Anyway, that is under normal situations. In this case, I think it's wiser and safer for you both to remain here. With a few well placed rules Miss Granger will be safe sitting in class practicing spells and such,' he finished with a wave of his hand.

'The thing is,' Dumbledore added, 'in order for us to protect Hermione, you have to decide if you are willing to become a parent and protect her and the child,' Harry opened his mouth at once to say he would, but Dumbledore stopped him by putting up his hand. 'Before you speak so quickly, Miss Granger has to agree to keep the child too. This needs to be joint decision or it will not work,' Dumbledore finished, punching his finger on the table in time with the last three words. 'And not only that Harry, it is a very big responsibility becoming a parent; you need to think about this carefully,' Dumbledore smiled at him. 'Miss and Mr Weasley are returning home with their mother for a few days. This should give you ample thinking time, but don't forget that Hermione needs to have the same result as you,' Dumbledore said and stood from his chair. 'Hermione will be in the Hospital wing until Healer Moon is convinced she is healthy enough to leave, you have free rein to visit her whenever you wish,' he added and then made his way out of the Common Room with Fudge behind him. 

~~**~~

Harry found he didn't know what to do with himself after that. Being alone, not having to make conversation or answer questions was a great thing. However, he found himself wishing there was someone he could ask for advice.

He had sat in the chair in the common room for what seemed like hours after Dumbledore and Fudge had left, his mind was in overdrive and he kept going between decisions, he wanted it, he didn't want it, it wasn't his choice. Either way, he couldn't make up his mind.

Giving up on staring at the wall above the fire, Harry made his way once more up to his dormitory, but up there he was restless. Unable to sit still or lie on his bed, he found himself over by the window looking out over the open grounds, where he could watch the forest or out the gates and into Hogsmeade, and on occasion, watch the activities of a teacher or Hagrid as they sorted out the grounds for the new school year.

Whenever this didn't provide enough entertainment to take Harry's mind away from the problem, he would wander around the room and common room, looking at all the things he'd never noticed before.

By lunchtime the next day, Harry became annoyed with his surroundings, having explored everything from under the beds in his room to the fire and the behind a tapestry in the common room. He made one more sweep of the rooms before pushing the portrait open, climbing out and wandering down the corridor. With his mind working again, Harry didn't really pay attention to where he was going, and he didn't hear Professor McGonagall as she told him that he'd missed lunch and if he was hungry he should go to the kitchens, or even pay attention to Peeves who took to following Harry along on his back singing a very rude song. Peeves gave up after turning a corner to find the Bloody Barron in their path.

After a few hours of idle wandering, Harry became frustrated with himself when he found he was standing, once again, at the door to the Hospital Wing. He turned and walked a few paces away before stopping and going back, standing there for a few more minutes and wandering away again. Was Hermione having as much trouble thinking as he was, or had she already decided what she was doing regardless to what he thought? He stopped and looked back, thinking about the pain he watched Hermione in yesterday morning. The image or her face drifted back into his mind and at that moment, his scar gave an uncomfortable twinge. He turned to walk away again, but was stopped by someone calling his name.

'Harry,' Remus Lupin had just emerged from the Hospital Wing, obviously shocked to find Harry here. 'I was just coming to look for you,' he added, taking a careful step towards Harry, unsure how he'd been taking the information. 'Hermione's worried about you, and angry with you,' he smiled and moved closer. 'She said you haven't been to see her all day, she thinks your avoiding her.'

'I'm not,' Harry spat, and then changed his mind. 'I am, I think,' Harry leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground. 'I don't know what I'm doing,' he added as Lupin joined him on the floor. 'Living for 17 years at the Dursley’s was easier than today. I don't know what I should do.'

'Well you could start by changing the “I” to a ”we”,' Lupin suggested, giving Harry a sideways glance, then looking at the Hospital Wing door. 'Hermione's as much a part of this as you are and she doesn't want to make any decisions without you.'

'If only I could make a choice to help her out,' Harry said, staring up at the suit of armour opposite him.

'How do you feel about Hermione? Not about things that have happened today, Harry, how do you feel about Hermione?' Lupin asked, planning his conversation. Harry sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering.

'I love her!' he looked away before adding. 'Not as a friend, I REALLY love her, I have since 3rd year.'

'Why have you never told her?' Lupin asked.

'I was afraid she'd laugh at me, or tell me she liked me as friend but loved someone else!' Harry said pulling off his glasses, cleaning them on the hem of his t-shirt and then putting them back on.

'Then how do you feel about starting a family with her?' Lupin moved on, not wanting to push Harry for more information.

'I thought about it, once, but I always thought it wouldn't be until after we finished school, assuming I ever got the nerve to tell her my feelings,' Harry shrugged making Lupin chuckle.

'So what's stopping you now? Harry, she's angry with you for not talking to her as a friend, but she's worried because she thinks you don't want to be with her, to help her with the baby. She feels the same about you as you do about her, but now you know that, and she doesn't,' he'd done it; Harry had suddenly gotten to his feet, and started towards the hospital wing. 'Harry,' Lupin called, causing Harry to stop, 'could you help me up before you go?!' Harry laughed, pulled Lupin to his feet and made his way back to the Hospital wing. 

~~**~~

Harry pushed the door to the Hospital Wing open and stepped inside. It was unusual seeing it in the summer, with sun floating in though the open windows and beds empty, even Hermione's bed was empty and Harry had a fleeting thought that she had left and gone for a walk or something, but then he remembered that he and Lupin had been sitting outside and would have seen her pass them.

Harry took the seat beside her bed and waited. He didn't need to wait for long; a few minutes after sitting down, Hermione emerged from a door beside Madam Pomfrey's office at the end of the room. She didn't pay attention to where she was going on her way back to bed and got a shock when she finally looked up and saw Harry sitting there waiting for her.

'Hi,' Harry said and without waiting for her to speak he said, 'I, erm, I've been wandering around the castle. Did you know there was an empty cupboard behind the portrait of Lycia Mecconstaff on the fourth floor?' Hermione gave a little laugh and dropped her head to look at the ground, then decided she would be better off in bed and climbed in. 'I'm sorry Hermione, I should have come back, but, I was afraid you'd hate me.'

'For what? You haven't done anything wrong,' she said, still keeping her eyes on anything but him.

'For loving you enough to want the baby,' Hermione looked up suddenly; she had been rearranging the covers on her bed. Her head was buzzing so much with his last comment that she didn't know where to start. She sat silently for a few minutes before deciding on asking.

'You... you love me?' Harry gave a nod, now being the one to avoid her eyes.

'Since about third year, about the end of third year, actually it was when we were...' Harry broke off; he had just taken a glance at Hermione and noticed she was in tears again. Moving quickly off the chair to reach her, Harry pulled a muscle in his leg, but ignored it and scrambled onto the bed to face her, then quickly wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a hug. 'Hermione,' Harry whispered into her left ear, 'I should have told you ages ago, but I was scared that you didn't feel the same. What happens to this baby is your choice, and I'll love you whatever you do,' Hermione pushed him away looking into his eye.

'We can keep it, can't we?'

'Yeah,' Harry said smiling at her and adjusting his position slightly, his leg was beginning to annoy him by now. 'Dumbledore will have the teachers help us out with homework and NEWTs when the baby's born; I doubt he'd let us fail. Did you know we should be expelled by now, if this was our fault, that is,' Harry smiled. 'Fudge and Dumbledore told me that as this isn't a normal situation, expelling us wasn't an option, especially since chucking us out would only put us in harms way.' 

Harry could tell Hermione hadn't even considered that it was against school rules to carry an infant because of the dangers of some charms and potions. 'Hey, don't worry,' he said seeing her expression change into fear. 'I wont let anyone or anything hurt you,' he said and leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the lips before moving to sit behind her so she could lean against him. It didn't take long before Hermione was asleep against him, trapping his arm under her back. Harry didn't want to move Hermione, he figured she'd had a worse day than he had, and let her sleep. After a short time however, he was forced to move; his arm had fallen asleep underneath her and his back was beginning to sting. He was just moving when the door opened and Tonks' head appeared around it.

Seeing Harry, she moved over to him and just in time spotted that Hermione was asleep before saying ”Hello.”' Harry replied with a rather more hurried 'hello' then added:

'Could you move Hermione for a minute, my back hurts and I'm getting pins and needles in my arm,' Tonks, usually clumsy, managed to move Hermione with only a near miss of Hermione's head banging on her shoulder, let Harry move until he was comfortable, then eased her back down against him. She was there for a while chatting with Harry, and to his surprise left without asking if they were keeping the baby or not.

Shortly after Tonks had left, Harry was visited by Fudge, Lupin, Moody and eventually Dumbledore, before a house-elf appeared to inform the Professor that dinner was ready to be served. Dumbledore sought Madam Pomfrey's approval for Hermione to join them, and then left Harry to help her change.

Harry woke Hermione carefully, then offered to help her change, but was pushed out of the cubicle and told to wait there. She changed quickly and they made their way down to the Great Hall.

Down in the Great Hall, Dumbledore had set up a single table and was perched at one end of it waiting. Harry and Hermione made their way past the teachers when he beckoned them to their seats to his right, before looking down at the teachers waiting there. Harry was sat immediately next to Dumbledore, with Hermione next to him, beside her Lupin sat looking avidly between the two of them then leaned in to whisper to Hermione. Then there was Tonks and Professor Sprout, who were arguing over the best way to look after a biting plant and finally, Healer Moon, who was sat leaning in across the table to Madam Pomfrey. Coming back down the other side of the table was Professor Snape, who looked very annoyed at the company's conversations, then Mad-Eye Moody and Hagrid sat in a whispered conversation which Harry found amazing since there was a few feet in height difference between them, and finally Professor McGonagall who sat with a smile on her face as she looked at them.

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, and as the students would have done when he was ready to make a speech, the teachers and visitors at the table fell silent.

'Before we eat, I believe that everyone here is interested to know if you have made your decision,' Harry turned suddenly, he hadn't expect that at all, but looking around was a bad idea, every face along the table was staring at them waiting. To Harry's surprise, even Snape was awaiting the answer with a curious expression.

'Get on with it,' Tonks burst from beside Lupin, causing most of the table to laugh, including Hermione, who took a deep breath before answering their question.

'We're going to keep the baby,' anyone outside the hall would have though a riot had started amongst the teachers from the outburst of congratulations that were being shouted, but the only one that Harry really heard was Hagrid who had shouted 'I knew it, I ruddy knew it!' at the top of his lungs.

Dinner past in a cheerful mood after that and as the plates slowly emptied the teachers and visitors slowly bid everyone goodnight and left the table. Hermione had wanted to go long ago, but Dumbledore had asked that they both stay.

When the hall was cleared of everyone but them, Dumbledore and McGonagall, Harry turned to look at them. Hermione was leaning heavily against Harry, her body tired from the day's shock and lack of sleep.

'I have a gift for you both,' Dumbledore said at last and Hermione moved from Harry's shoulder to look at him. 'I believe there has never been any two students more deserving of this gift than you two.'

Harry glanced at Professor McGonagall who looked close to tears then turned back to Dumbledore who was now holding out two faded red envelopes to them. Harry took his and waited for Hermione to retrieve hers before opening it. Tipping it upside down, Harry felt two long metal objects hit the palm of his hand. Looking at them he saw they were keys; one silver, one gold.

'If you'll come with me, I'll explain them to you,' Professor McGonagall said, standing from the table and leading them from the room, with Professor Dumbledore behind them at a distance.

They followed her out into the Entrance Hall and up the stairs, turning left and heading down the corridor. Harry followed silently, waiting patiently for what this all meant and where they were going. After a few minutes they followed Professor McGonagall past her office and towards Dumbledore's. Before reaching the statue that held his password she stopped. Standing halfway between their offices she turned to them.

'The silver keys will open this door. But before you use them, let’s make sure that the spell worked correctly, if you would chuck your key's away please,' Harry and Hermione exchanged looked, and then complied by chucking all four keys out the nearest open window. 'Now open your hands palm up and request a key,' Harry was confused, 'request a key?' what did she mean?

'Silver Key,' Hermione said to his left and he glanced in her direction quick enough to see a silver object appear in Hermione's hand. 'Gold Key,' she said and the gold key returned to her hand as well. Harry was shocked, if he had known that was possible he would have asked how to do it long ago, and then maybe he wouldn't keep losing quills and books.

'Silver Key,' Harry said. Sticking out his right hand, it returned, and he examined it to make sure it was the same one before holding out his hand again and saying 'Gold Key,' which appeared just as suddenly.

'Each of these keys will be invisible when out of your possession, and will return to you on demand. Now if one of you would open the door,' Hermione stepped forwards and unlocked the door, but before she could open it McGonagall added, 'No other person can use these keys, not even with your permission, and this door will not open to an unlocking charm,' she nodded at Hermione who pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Following her closely, Harry stepped inside and found himself suddenly bathed in light. Lamps and candles around the room had suddenly burst into life and Harry had a clear view of the room. It was a round room, decorated in the Gryffindor colours, with similar poufs and chairs as there were in the Common Room. The fireplace to Harry's right was empty, the sun from the day left the room warm and without need of a fire. He took a quick count of the doors leading out, all of which were marked with the Gryffindor Lion.

'Four rooms in total,' Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had followed them in; it was Dumbledore who had spoken. 'We will wait here, while you see what's in the other three rooms,' he added and took a seat next to the fire.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and led him to the door directly opposite. She pushed it open and stepped inside. The door closed behind them and they found themselves in a bedroom; a single large bed in the middle of the opposite wall, directly under the window, a dressing table to the left and a set of rather large cupboards to the right.

'Harry, this is our room,' Harry looked at her in complete confusion. 'We've moved out of Gryffindor Tower, and into here!' she added, letting him go and moving over to a door Harry hadn't spotted beside the dressing table. Harry stood bewildered as Hermione disappeared though it. 'Harry, Harry, you have to come see this.'

It seemed to take great effort to move, but he followed Hermione into the other room and found it was prepared for a newborn baby. The walls were brightly lit and the furniture placed perfectly for the parents ease. Harry caught sight of Hermione sitting relaxed in the corner, her chair rocking back and forth and Harry suddenly realised why; it was a rocking chair. 'It's perfect,' she whispered and moved over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

Harry did a quick count wrapping his arms around her back. The room outside was one. Their bedroom was two. The baby room was three. 'So what's in the other room?' Harry asked out loud.

Hermione moved away from him, smiled then said, 'Let's go look,' they stepped out though the baby room door, crossed the room past Dumbledore and McGonagall, who both pretended they hadn't noticed them passing by keeping up their conversation, and disappeared though the last door.

Harry's jaw dropped; there were no walls or windows. Harry made his way to the edge of the floor and before he was able to look down, he hit his head on what felt like a wall. They were clearly still inside, the walls and ceiling invisible to sight, but definitely not touch. Harry rubbed his head looked back at Hermione who was trying her best not to laugh and said:

'There's a wall here,' Hermione couldn't hold back anymore, she just laughed at him then moved to sit in one of the swinging chairs that you would only expect to see outside a Muggle house. Harry moved towards her, taking in the bookshelves that lined the wall behind her and the three tables that scattered the room with wooden chairs around them.

'We better go back out,' he said, holding his hand out to her. She took it and climbed out of the chair, and followed him though the door.

'Back so soon, I could have lived in that room,' Dumbledore said, pointing to the door they had just come from. 'I take it these quarters are to your liking?' he smiled at them, and seeming happy to see them speechless, moved towards the door.

'Professor,' Harry said suddenly and waited for them both to stop and turn. 'Thank you, but why are you giving us this?' The question had been buzzing around Harry's head since stepping into their bedroom.

'I believe it will be hard for you both to get to know each other better in a common room full of students and in separate beds,' he smiled at them and Harry saw and twinkle of joy flash in his eyes.

'And the gold keys?' Hermione asked from his side.

'You will find out about them tomorrow, Miss Granger,' Professor McGonagall said, before smiling and adding, 'good night,' and following Dumbledore out of the room, which Harry heard lock itself as it closed.

They sat in what they named “The Open Room” for most of the night, watching the stars and talking about the events of the day. It didn't take long before Hermione started planning how things would work when they had a baby to look after as well as their exams to get though. By midnight, she had planned for four possible outcomes, none of which Harry had really listened to as he kept insisting they had plenty of time before they needed to worry about that.

Sitting staring at the sky above him, Harry began to wonder about his gold key. Did it open another secret room in Hogwarts, if so what else could they possible need? This amused him for a while as he thought about secret passages from here to the Great Hall so they wouldn't have to take the long walk back or a way to Hogsmeade in case they needed to get supplies quickly for the baby when it was born. It was only when Harry heard a soft thud from beside him that he broke from this train of thought.

Hermione had fallen asleep on the table, the tired feeling that had been lost when they where shown to this room had obviously returned.

Harry climbed to his feet, made his way around the table and carefully picked Hermione up. He hadn't even realised he would be able to pick her up until he actually did so. He moved through the door, which he had thankfully left open when they came back in, crossed their version of a common room and, struggling with the door handle a bit, managed to open the door and carry Hermione in to place her gently on the left side of the bed.

He looked around quickly, and noticed that their things had arrived and been placed there ready, and for a fleeting moment he wondered if Dumbledore had known they would make this choice. He shook this from his head and moved to Hermione's trunk and pushed it open. It was very neatly packed, but Harry didn't stop to study the content, of which mostly was books and clothing. He located her nightdress and returned to her side. Harry had to take a deep breath before starting to undress her. She's asleep and pregnant, he told himself over and over as he removed her top and bra then placed her night dress over her head, needing to pull her into a sitting position before he could pull it down her back and then lay her back down before removing her jeans. Harry gave a quick pull to drag the dress down over her legs before covering her with the blanket that was folded neatly at the end of the bed.

Moving away from the bed extremely proud of himself, Harry moved to his own trunk and pulled out his nightclothes and changed. It was only when he climbed into the bed beside Hermione that he thought, 'This has to be one of the longest days of my life,' before falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry woke suddenly the next morning but didn't really understand why. He was about to move when a small thud to his right made him turn his head.

Sitting on top of the dressing table on the opposite side of the room was Dobby, his little elf legs were swinging under the dresser as he looked around the room and every so often he gave an exceptionally hard swing and hit his ankles on the bottom of the desk.

Harry made to sit up, but was stopped by the weight of Hermione Granger who, as Harry suddenly remembered, had spent the night in their new room with him. She was lying up against Harry's right side, her head resting on his chest as if it was her pillow and her right arm was draped across his stomach. She moved slightly in her sleep and Harry could feel her right leg resting across both of his, completely pinning him to the bed.

'Dobby,' Harry croaked with a dry early morning throat, 'why didn't you wake me?' he asked.

'Dobby was afraid to wake Miss,' Dobby replied in a whisper, obviously still afraid to wake Hermione. Harry took a glance down at Hermione's sleeping face, even at this odd angle he could easily get lost in her relaxed features and dream smile. 'Harry Potter, sir,' Dobby said, breaking Harry from his thoughts. 'Dobby wanted to give you this, sir,' he added, holding out a small white box that was haphazardly tied with a light blue ribbon. Dobby jumped from his seat on the dresser and quickly made his way around the bed to give Harry the gift. 'Dobby made it last night, sir, after Dumbledore told the elves that you and Miss would be staying here instead of Gryffindor Tower, sir,' Dobby's ears suddenly pricked up as if he were a cat hearing movement from a mile away. 'Dobby must go, sir,' he said and vanished before Harry's eyes.

Harry glanced at the clock to his left, 8:00 in the morning. It wasn't too early to wake Hermione, and besides, he needed his right arm to open the present Dobby had given him. He placed the white box on the bed beside him and gave Hermione a gentle shake. 'Hermione,' he whispered. She stirred and Harry shook her again. Hermione stretched and looked up at Harry smiling.

'This is nice, waking up with you,' she said, causing him to smile. He couldn't help but agree; she was right, it was nice.

'Dobby brought me a present,' Harry told her, resting the small box on his chest in Hermione's view.

'What is it?'

'I don't know, I need my right arm back to find out,' he said with a small laugh. Hermione smiled and rolled onto her back and off Harry's right arm, which she had managed to trap behind her back during the night. Harry flexed his arm, enjoying the feeling of blood flowing around it again, then picked up the white box and tugged at the ribbon. Hermione watched as he popped the lid off and peeked inside, then quickly put the lid back on and looked at her.

'So, what is it?' she asked. Harry didn't reply, instead he smiled and handed her the box and while she opened it, he put the ribbon on the bedside out of his way. 'Aww, they're so cute,' Hermione said pulling a very small sock out of the box. It was white and had little lightning bolts on it. Hermione gave a chuckle as she pulled out the other, also white only with books on it. Hermione gave another laugh, put the box on the bedside and climbed out of bed. She was halfway to her trunk to get her clothes out when she realised that she should still be wearing her clothes.

'Harry,' she said slowly turning to face him, 'when did I manage to get changed?' Harry smiled.

'You didn't, you feel asleep in the open room,' Harry said continuing to watch her. 'I moved you in here and I changed your clothes so you wouldn't get too hot in the night,' Harry finished and then climbed quickly out of bed. 'We should go get some breakfast,' he added pulling his trunk open, a slight amount of guilt for undressing her the night before now playing on his mind.

'Harry,' Hermione said softly and waited until he looked up at her, 'thank you,' she smiled and Harry smiled back.

They changed, not afraid to show themselves to each other and left the room together heading to the Great Hall. At the top of the stairs to the Entrance Hall they had to stop; a long line of house-elves were making their way down the stairs and into the Great Hall.

'I wonder where they're going?' Harry mused aloud, smiling at Dobby and Winky as they passed them.

'I don't know, but it’s nice to see Winky settling in. She looks happier now,' Hermione added, spotting the end of the elves line and finding it followed by all the school teachers, Lupin, Tonks, Moody and the Weasley’s (except Ron and Ginny), including to Hermione's amusement, Fred and George. Dumbledore was last, and stopped before the stairs.

'Join us for breakfast,' he said, motioning that they should take the stairs before him.

It seemed unusually packed in the Great Hall over breakfast. The conversations going from person to person and topic to topic and the only thing that remained constant was the quality of the food. From Harry's first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the food served at every meal was always the best he had eaten. This, however, hadn't been a hard thing to accomplish as Harry's previous home was with the Dursley’s back in Privet Drive.

The plates emptied slowly, as did the room, as teachers returned to their summer holidays or school holiday duties. During the course of the meal, Harry and Hermione discovered that the elves and teachers had been given new rules to enforce during the school year, but they heard nothing more about the Golden Keys they had in their pockets.

All the teachers had left the table and Harry and Hermione where left completely alone. They had been in the middle of a conversation as the last person (Professor Snape) had got up and left.

'What now?' Harry asked.

'Might as well go for a walk, or we can go and ask Professor McGonagall about the key!' Hermione suggested, but they both knew only too well that Professor McGonagall would find them when it was time to tell them about it, so they left the Great Hall together and automatically turned to leave the castle.

Harry found it relaxing stepping into the quiet grounds in the middle of summer. The hot sun shone down on the pair as they strolled towards the lake and started off around the edge. They said nothing for a while, just enjoyed the summer morning and each other's company. It was Harry who found he couldn't keep from asking Hermione to do something that was going to be very difficult.

'Hermione,' he started, wondering how best to say this. 'Can you... not plan how we could do this?' he asked and Hermione stopped walking.

'What do you mean?' she asked, looking around for somewhere to sit down.

'Well, you always have a plan or a schedule for things, can you just not do it this time, just let things happen naturally?' Hermione had found a place to sit and was now looking up at Harry questioningly.

'Some things I'll need to plan Harry, like after the baby is born and we have to do our homework and study for our NEWTs,' Hermione sighed, the thought was terrifying but she didn't want to worry about it. She knew the teachers would help, well most of them anyway.

'Well, that you can plan. In fact, that would be the best thing to plan,' Harry said exasperated and joined Hermione on the hollow log that she was sitting on. 'But things like where we are gonna live after school, getting supplies for the baby and naming it, can you leave those till later, much later?' Harry said and turned to look at her. She wasn't looking back at him; her head was hung low and she was looking slightly in the opposite direction. 'You haven't, have you?' Harry asked. 'You haven't already picked names, Hermione?' She raised her head a little but didn't turn to look at him.

'I thought, you know, as... well...' Hermione seemed to be having trouble with what she wanted to say. Harry waited. 'To spite him, Voldemort, if it's a girl, we could call her Lily and if it's a boy, James,' Harry bit his bottom lip, reached out and took hold of her chin turning her face to look at him.

'I knew there was a reason to love you,' he smiled before leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips.

'I do beg your pardon,' Professor Sprout said, standing a few steps away from them, 'but I need to deal with the plants in the water and Hagrid...' she indicated to Hagrid who was looking out over the lake instead of at Harry and Hermione, '... needs to deal with the animal. It will get quite wet out here, so you will probably do better to go back inside or around to the other side of the castle,' she told them and Harry stood up and pulled Hermione up next to him.

'Swimming is a good idea in this heat, but I would like to be prepared first. Thanks,' Harry said, causing Professor Sprout to smile at them as they walked away. When they thought the pair were out of earshot Hagrid gave out a muffled sob and muttered.

'Aren' they cute?' and received a look from Professor Sprout before they turned to do their duties. 

~~**~~

Wherever in the grounds they went, they were always pushed out by a teacher, or Hagrid would show up, soaking wet the first time, and turn all mushy at the sight of them. So they made excuses to stay away from him. It would be a long nine months if every time he was near them he would turn into a blubbering mess because he found them "cute" together.

It wasn't even lunchtime when they had given up retracing their steps trying to find somewhere to sit out of the way and resigned themselves to going back into the castle. Again they wandered everywhere and found nowhere that wasn't in anyone's way. Professor McGonagall became very annoyed when, for the fifth time in an hour, she found them sitting in a classroom she needed to be in.

Apologising for the fifth time, they left and headed in the direction of the Great Hall, hoping that lunch would be served soon.

Lunch was another uneventful affair; no one mentioned the gold keys and once again Harry and Hermione were reluctant to bring it up. At the end of lunch, Dumbledore stayed sat at the table with Harry and Hermione deep in conversation about what he had told the teachers and elves.

'So, the elves will make sure your quarters are properly cleaned. I've assigned a few to do nothing else at night time except your room. The teachers have been told of new rules like no magic after lesson times, and that the “no magic between lessons” rule become more enforced. Any student who attempts to hurt you, Miss Granger, will find themselves in rather a lot of trouble,' he smiled at them. 'Now what do you two have planned for the afternoon?'

'We don't know, sir, we haven't found anywhere all morning where we can just sit and talk. The teachers always need to be where we are,' Hermione told him. Dumbledore gave a little chuckle.

'We even tried sitting in our own room, but the house elves wouldn't work properly while we were in there. They kept asking if there was anything we wanted or needed,' Harry added.

'Indeed,' Dumbledore stood up. 'Then if you will follow me, I have just the place for you.'

Harry and Hermione followed Dumbledore from the Great Hall, into the Entrance Hall, up the staircase (turning right at the top) and along several corridors. It was only when they found themselves outside the gargoyle to the Headmaster's office that Harry and Hermione actually paid attention to where they were going.

Dumbledore gave the password, 'Canary Creams,' and stepped onto the revolving stairs, followed by Hermione then Harry. At the top, they expected him to stop and say they could stay up here, but he didn't.

Dumbledore crossed his study, stopped to stroke Fawkes for a moment and then started up the stairs behind him. Harry and Hermione exchanged looks; they were going to sit in Dumbledore's private chambers? Looking back up, they saw the tall, crooked nosed Albus Dumbledore looking back down at them.

'This way please,' he said and pushed open the door for them. Harry started up the stairs, patting Fawkes as he passed, followed closely by Hermione, who also patted the flaming red and orange feathers of the phoenix, and stopped dead looking through the door Dumbledore had opened.

They had expected to see his private room, with bed and dresser, just as they had been given, but the sight that greeted them instead was completely different. Instead of a single room, they found themselves looking down an extremely long corridor, so long in fact, that neither of them could see the end.

'What's at the other end?' Hermione voiced what Harry was wondering.

'You know, I don't know. Shall we find out?' Dumbledore said, stepping inside and beckoning Harry and Hermione to follow. Stepping inside they noticed the doors along either side of the corridor were exactly the same as the one they had just used to enter the passageway. As they started walking, the door closed behind them and the lamps along the walls lit up suddenly. They must have walked for five minutes before reaching another door at the end of the passage. Dumbledore pushed it open and stepped though; Harry followed and his jaw dropped as he found himself back in Dumbledore's study. They hadn't turned around at any point, Harry thought looking behind him down the corridor, there were no corners or curves; it was a straight passage, so how had they come back here?

'Amazing, isn't it? I could walk out of any room, turn in either direction and be right back here,' Dumbledore smiled seeing the shocked looks on not only Harry's face, but Hermione's too. 'Anyway, this way,' he said, stepping passed them and back into the corridor. It took a moment before Harry and Hermione followed and they turned back to the corridor and saw Dumbledore standing six doors down waiting for them. They joined him and Dumbledore looked in both directions at the doors either side of him. 'I'm afraid I don't remember which door is the right one, so if Miss Granger would open this one...' he indicated to his left, '... and you Harry could open this one...' he indicated to the right, '... we could find the one we want,' Dumbledore instructed with a glint of laughter in his eyes.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks again before turning back to back and opening the doors. Harry found himself in a very large round room, the ceiling of which was the night sky, a complete naturally moving version of the night sky. Harry assumed it was what was currently in the sky at the moment, but being as it was daylight outside, they wouldn't have seen it.

'Wow,' Hermione's voice travelled across the room and Harry looked to the opposite side to find her looking amazed around the room. A sudden thought hit him, as sudden thoughts do when in very strange situations like this and Harry jerked his head from the room and looked at the door behind him. Hermione was standing in the doorway examining her room, and from what Harry could see, it was the exact same one he had been looking into. Dumbledore gave a laugh and indicated that Harry should go back in. Harry walked in, the door behind him closing with a loud echoing “click”. He looked across the room to see Dumbledore, his hands pushing Hermione forward a little, stepping into the room.

'All the rooms along this corridor have a different use...' Dumbledore said, his voice carrying oddly across the dark room, '... one of which is my private chambers, and all the rooms have two doors, both of which, as Harry has discovered, lead back to the corridor. I would not presume to ask you to remain in this one, but I do ask that if you do explore the other rooms, that you do not enter the ones at either end of the corridor, or the one directly in the middle,' he said before turning and leaving.

Harry had the sudden urge to find out how many rooms were down this corridor. He crossed the room, took Hermione by the hand and pulled her though the door she had moments ago walked in through. He pulled her down the corridor back towards Dumbledore's study and stopped before the door.

'Harry?' Hermione questioned.

'I just want to know,' Harry said, walking along the corridor and starting to count the doors. Hermione leaned against Dumbledore's study door and watched him disappear down the corridor. '26, 27, 28... ' Harry stopped, he had caught sight of the end of the corridor. He turned suddenly around to look back, that couldn't be right. He turned back again and found himself face to face with Hermione.

'Why are you counting both sides?' she asked him, only to receive a puzzled look.

'I didn't,' he said confused. 'I've counted the doors on this side of the corridor all the way from that end to this end, how did you get here?'

'I haven't moved Harry, and you started counting that side.' she said pointing to opposite side of the corridor, Harry looked back again now completely confused. '35,' Hermione said suddenly. 'There are 35 doors down one side. If you stayed on that side of the corridor then there must be a reversing spell somewhere, either that or we're in a very confusing sphere!' she said. 'We can't touch either door on the ends of the corridor, they must be Dumbledore's room, and the one in the middle, door number 18....' Just as Hermione said the door number, small golden numbers appeared on each of the doors on either side of the corridor.

'Excellent,' Harry exasperated, then grabbed hold of the handle to door two and pulled it open. Stepping though, Harry found himself outside, but not in the Hogwarts grounds. He was in the middle of a field, with a house about eight yards from where he stood. In the distance, was nothing? He couldn't see any more houses or roads, no sign of movement at all. He turned back and stepped back into the corridor. 'Your turn,' he smiled at Hermione.

Hermione wasn't sure about the door searching, but she joined in regardless. They found that the room Dumbledore had shown them was number seven and this was by far their favourite. As well as the room with the field, they found rooms in a desert, with a similar house, on the beach and even on top of a mountain surrounded by a circling river. Most of the other rooms, however, where just normal bedrooms with connected bathrooms, with the odd room now and again that give them a nasty shock because stepping though led back to the corridor without opening the opposite door.

They had stuck to orders they had been given and had not opened the doors either ends of the corridor or number 18. When they finally reached door 17, they had started to guess what was behind the doors, but neither of them expected to find themselves in the Great Hall.

'Ah, I wondered if you would reach that door in time for dinner,' Dumbledore said, sitting at end of the single table that had been shared for dinner every day so far. 'Come join us, the food will arrive in a moment,' he added, beckoning Harry and Hermione to sit down. The only other teacher at the table was Professor Sprout, who looked as though she had taken a second attempt at the water creatures, as she was soaked to the bone and draining the water from her hat into a goblet on the table. Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Molly and even Arthur Weasley were also sitting there waiting.

As the pair sat down, still recovering from the shock of finding themselves somewhere else in the castle, the doors to the hall opened and several other teachers entered and took their seats just as the food arrived. 

~~**~~

Harry found he enjoyed the holidays at Hogwarts; the conversations were a lot more interesting than those held by the students during school term. It was a shame, he thought to himself as the meal came to a close, that this was his last year at school, and soon he and Hermione would be in the real world, just the two of them and their baby. Assuming, his mind seemed to add by itself, we survive the year and Voldemort didn't do anything to hurt Hermione and the baby.

As usual, the teachers and guests dissipated from the table along with the food, and for the second time in the last few days, Harry and Hermione found themselves alone with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.

'I trust you two found some interesting rooms to show Ron and Ginny for the remainder of the holidays and somewhere you can site alone if you wish?' Dumbledore asked as Professor Snape finally left the hall.

'Definitely,' Harry said, with a slight glee of excitement at the thought of the rooms then hastily added, 'but we didn't look in the ones you asked us not to,' Dumbledore smiled.

'And your plans for this evening?' Professor McGonagall questioned.

'We... don't have any,' Hermione said, hesitating before adding 'Probably just going to sit in one of the rooms and talk.'

'Oh, so you wouldn't want to help me in Hogsmeade this evening? I have already asked Mr and Miss Weasley to help and they have agreed, but I could always use a few more pairs of hands,' Harry and Hermione exchanged looks before Harry replied for them.

'Sure, we'll help,' he said, hoping that while they were there, they could visit Honeydukes, the sweet shop, and the Zonko's joke shop, but somehow doubting it.

Leaving the hall with her, they separated. Professor McGonagall gave them half an hour to get ready and collect Ron and Ginny before they left. As Harry and Hermione turned the corner at the top of the stairs, Professor McGonagall shouted, '... And don't forget those Golden Keys,' before vanishing from sight. Harry and Hermione had frozen smiling at each other before taking off again at a run. 

~~**~~

Ron took the longest to get ready, owing to the fact that he spilt pumpkin juice down himself when Harry jumped though the portrait hole, shouting for them to get ready and made Ron fly out of his seat in shock and tip the drink up. Hermione had gone back to their room to 'visit the little girl's room' as she had put it, before collecting their keys and moneybags (just in case), and would meet them in the Entrance Hall with Professor McGonagall.

Extremely excited that they were going to find out about the Golden Keys, Harry and Hermione told Ron and Ginny about their new room in the school, and promised to show them the whole room when they got back. The four of them entered the small town of Hogsmeade a little way ahead of Professors McGonagall and Snape, who had also agreed to help. They had started down their usual route when Professor McGonagall called to them to wait.

They had stopped just before a turning to another street, where they carried on discussing the room back at Hogwarts and the key that no one else could use, when McGonagall and Snape over took them and started down the street. It was at this point where Hermione got a good idea of what their keys did; but she didn't say anything, as she didn't know if they would be shown their keys before or after helping their Head of House.

About halfway down the street, McGonagall and Snape stopped. They were standing outside an extremely beautiful house; it was separate from the rest of the street, a small alleyway between it and the houses on either side. The house stood two stories high, made of a pale blue stone with a cream front door and a black metal gate surrounding it.

'No way!' Ron exclaimed as he looked up at the house taking in the full building from front lawn to chimney.

'Way!' Professor McGonagall replied with a large smile on her face, 'Mr Potter, if you would care to let us in,' she added to Harry.

Harry tentatively pushed open the black gate, and walked to the front door followed closely by Hermione, who had hold of his arm in anticipation. He inserted the key, turned it slowly teasing himself as well as Hermione, but received a rather hard squeeze for it, and pushed the door open, then moved to let Hermione in first.

Inside the house was, in Ron's words “wicked” fully furnished and decorated and, surprisingly clean. Professors McGonagall and Snape sat themselves in the family room, which was furnished in pine wood furniture and the most comfortable chairs Hermione had sat in, with a fireplace of red brick. The next room was a small kitchen, just barely big enough for Harry and Hermione to stand in; they suspected that wizards usually made small kitchens, as most of them would use magic to cook. Exploring the rest of the ground floor they found several storage cupboards, a toilet and a room full of empty bookshelves that Hermione deemed HER library.

The upstairs had four bedrooms, to which Ginny explained the need for a master bedroom, a guest room and two rooms for more kids; a bathroom, a few more cupboards and a small version of the open room they had back at Hogwarts.

'Bloody hell,' Ron said following Hermione into the open room. 'This is a posh wizard house. Mum always has her eye on these things, she loves these rooms.'

'They're common?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, all the richest wizard mansions have them, and then the few posh smaller houses like this one,' Ginny explained. 'I knew there was somewhere in Hogsmeade that had houses like this, but I didn't know where!' she added, running her hand over the solid invisible wall at the edge of the house.

'Then why do we have a room like this back at the school?' Hermione asked, receiving several shrugs.

'Who cares,' Ron said eventually and Hermione couldn't find a reason not to agree with this statement. 

~~**~~

After a while Professor McGonagall had to remind them, by shouting up the stairs, that they had work to do, and they left, locking the door with the Golden Key as they went.

Back at the school later that night, they entered the Entrance hall with their arms full of supplies for the kitchens, to find Professor Dumbledore waiting for them.

'You do realise, this is the first of several shopping trips,' he said with a smile, causing all four students to groan, and head towards the kitchens to deliver their bundles. Harry and Hermione stopped before Professor Dumbledore.

'Thanks,' Harry said with a larger smile than usual, 'for the house, its great,' Dumbledore smiled.

'I did nothing Harry. Before you were born, that house used to belong to your parents. They were forced to move to Godric's Hollow when you were born,' he smiled before adding 'all I did was give you the house-elf Dobby, to keep it clean. Assuming, that is, that you will pay him,' then he turned and disappeared up the stairs.

'Dobby!' Harry said with a little fear in his voice as well as a little relief. 'Hermione, can you handle having a house-elf?' he asked, as they vanished though the doors to the kitchen. 

~~**~~

The remainder of the school holidays passed quickly. Harry and Hermione showed Ron and Ginny everything, from the cupboard behind the portrait of Lycia Mecconstaff on the fourth floor, to the rooms beyond Dumbledore's study. They spent large amounts of time in Harry and Hermione's open room and the rest either in the fields down the corridor or in the night sky room that Dumbledore had originally shown them.

Harry and Hermione also got to spend a large amount of time together every few days, when Ron and Ginny, seemingly following their mother’s instructions, would give them time alone without being asked.

Before they knew it, the first day of term and the return of all the school students was upon them.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry woke up very early the next morning, to see Hermione getting changed at the other side of the bed. Harry let his eyes focus on her as she pulled a t-shirt over her head and bent down to pull on her knee length socks and shoes.

'What’s the time?' Harry said croakily, looking at Hermione as she straightened up.

'Early enough,' she said with a smile before continuing, 'but I want to enjoy the last day of the summer holidays as much as possible! The rest of the students arrive tonight,' she clambered over the bed and pecked him on the cheek before dumping a pile of clothes onto his chest. 'Here you go!' She got up quickly and left the room. Harry changed quickly, scrambling to pull them on and swiftly followed Hermione out and into the Open Area.

'How've you been this morning?' Harry asked Hermione, whose back was turned to him as she selected a book from the shelves behind the swinging chair.

'As I've always been Harry,' she answered. Feeling his eyes on her back and sensing the worry in his voice, she turned to smile at him, adding, 'I'm pregnant, not dying,' before turning fully around and placing her hands on his waist. 'Now will you stop worrying, Harry? I can cope you know,' her tone was not completely convincing with a small tremor of apprehension. 'Anything you fancy doing today, or are we just going to take it easy?' Hermione asked, conversationally. Harry paused.

'Well, I think Ron's been avoiding me like the plague... I think we should spend some time up in the Gryffindor common room with him. It must be lonely,' Harry said as an afterthought, plunging him into further guilt, but not preventing him from wrapping his arms around Hermione in return of her gesture.

'He's got Ginny!' Hermione said defensively. 'There's no reason for him to be lonely!' she added, although Harry detected a trace of shame there.

'We're his best friends,' Harry said, and with a cheeky grin, took her hand to lead her out.

They found Ron sitting near the fire of the Gryffindor common room, crouching dejectedly over the table with a look of pure disgust on his face.

'Worthless filthy maggot!' he said, adding a curse to the end of the insult and speaking to no one in particular. He suddenly realised Harry and Hermione where there and stood up thrusting the paper he had been leant over under their noses. 'Read this, it's unbelievable!' and then snatched up a few slices of toast from the table and stuffed them violently into his mouth. Harry and Hermione looked down at the Daily Prophet, which Ron as handed them, the headline read:

_The shamed face of Lucius Malfoy; not content with his life in Azkaban.  
Ministry's Azkaban sentence did not settle well! _

'Of course it didn't!' Harry said out loud. 'It never would for a Malfoy, would it?' Ron nodded malevolently and sprayed toast crumbs everywhere while attempting to speak.

'Shhhh!' Hermione persisted and Harry leant over again to read on.

Thinned and wearing, Lucius Malfoy spoke to us yesterday about the injustice of his sentence to Azkaban.

'If the Ministry didn't jump to conclusions or follow Dumbledore's every word, I wouldn't be in this unwarranted situation! The mere fact that this was a set-up on Dumbledore's behalf seems not to matter under the regime of right and wrong nowadays!'

The fact that Lucius Malfoy had been caught red-handed in the Ministry's Department of Mysteries one late June night over a year ago with company such as the shamed Bellatrix Lestrange, and You-Know-Who himself, wearing the death eaters' trademark clothes seemed innocent to Malfoy.

'My only intention in this whole thing is the safety of my son and his classmates! I'm told and have seen with my own eyes the meddlesome behaviour of Harry Potter; I was merely there to ensure his safety, and the safety of the people he dragged with him. I was trying to pass the message across to him that I would be there to protect him. But I was attacked by the students and couldn't get it through to them.'

'WHAT the ...' Harry burst out but was cut off by Hermione shushing him, so he continued to read the article.

__

It seemed to the Daily Prophet that in this interview Mr Malfoy had Harry Potter's best interests at heart, but through the cold justice system of the Ministry and the desperate situation they're in with fighting You-Know-Who, blame was to be dealt to people who got in the way. Lucius Malfoy feels very much a scapegoat, being set up through his naivety and good heart, but Ministry officials disagree.

'Lucius Malfoy was tried and convicted of being a Death Eater. Statements were taken by the students in question and those who went to their aid, that Mr Malfoy was in fact attacking them, and was doing so of his own free will,' a spokesperson for the Ministry stated.

It would seem that being a huge campaigner and donator to the Ministry seemed not to save him from the system set in place to protect the witches and wizards in our world. Their pride was their top priority and proving (or thinking they had proved) that the situation was under control seemed to take top priority as well.

You might recall a similar situation happened 16 years ago with the convicted murderer Sirius Black, whose innocence was only revealed after it was too late. Is this how it is going to turn out for Lucius Malfoy?

'I only pray that these few situations are ironed out and nobody else goes through the unnecessary pain, that I, Black and many others have had to go through.'

An appeal for Lucius Malfoy's case has yet to have a date, but his magi-lawyers, self-employed by Malfoy himself, are working on getting this date set as soon as possible.

It is clear, however, that the effect the Prison of Azkaban is having on the innocent victims, such as Lucius Malfoy, is devastating and experts have said it's only a matter of time before the prison devours him completely. Even without the Dementors guarding the prisons, their unlikely substitution is proving a success at retaining the prisoners. (More on this story can be found on pages 4, 5 and 7)

Harry looked up in outrage at his two best friends.

'How DARE he compare himself with Sirius!' Harry bellowed across the echoing common room, his temper rising for the first time in three months.

'We've just got to remember, Harry, that ... that, this appeal won't be successful! He won't get it. The Ministry's on our side now!' Hermione said, looking upset and nerved.

'Yeah Harry, this disgusting foul piece of troll bogies is nothing but... well, troll bogies. Did you hear that?' Ron said, causing Harry to stand up like a bolt of lightning and turn to face the portrait that led out of the common room.

'Hear what?' Hermione's eyes were round with apprehension.

'Footsteps...' Ron said, absent-mindedly waving his hand to quieten her. They heard it again and without further ado, both Harry and Ron pelted towards the portrait door and pushed it furiously open. 'WHO'S THERE?? COME BACK YOU SC-' bawled Ron, but was cut off by Professor McGonagall who had appeared at the bottom of a nearby stairwell, their eavesdropper gone from sight.

'Mr. Weasley!' Professor McGonagall roared, walking swiftly towards them, a look of outrage on her face. 'Need I remind you, that school holidays or not, you ARE in Hogwarts, and it is only a small fact that you're breaking rules BEFORE school term has even started!' Ron's ears reddened slightly.

'Bu-' he started to protest, but was cut short again.

'No buts Mr. Weasley. Strictly speaking school term has not started and I therefore cannot take away any points - but this is your first warning. Remember who you are... ' she pointed to the shiny Head Boy badge he had fastened to his jumper, 'and where you are!'

Ron had almost forgotten that he was Head Boy this year with Hermione as Head Girl, and even the thought of Mrs Weasley's over enthusiastic squealing and present buying didn't serve to calm his current temper.

It seemed that Ron had snapped. He scowled as she turned her back on them and walked in another direction, causing him to bang the portrait shut, a little harder than advisable and causing the fat lady to call out in fright and frustration.

Hermione seemed affronted, but decided not to say anything with Ron in such a foul mood.

'First that,' Ron scolded, pointing at Hermione's stomach, 'then this,' he said, picking up the paper and chucking it into the fire which burst out then shrivelled the paper into ashes as he continued, 'and then THAT,' he pointed at the back of the portrait where Professor McGonagall had told him off for shouting. 'This year's going to be an absolute scream!' He threw himself back into his chair with an expression of great self-pity.

'Oh cheer up Ron!' Hermione said, putting an affectionate hand on his arm. 'Sorting Ceremony's tonight, and the Start of Year feast you always look forward to,' Ron looked up, snapping out of his stupor.

'Sorry about that Hermione,' he said edgily. 'I didn't mean to, you know, startle you or anything in your condition.'

'FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'M NOT ILL!!' Hermione bellowed, annoyed as she realised both he and Harry would treat her like a dying woman for the entire year.

Hermione made up some excuse about wanting to read a new book she had brought, but Harry and Ron knew she just didn't want to be around if they were going to be nice to her only because of “her condition”, and she quickly left the common room, leaving Harry and Ron to their own devices. After several games of Wizard Chess, Exploding Snape and Gobstones (all of which Ron won within minutes due to Harry's mind working over time on the future), they started to get bored.

'Man, I'm starving!' Ron exclaimed, checking his watch. 'Just think, we're missing the VERY last time to see that old witch pushing that food trolley down the train... All those sweets we're missing out on, the Pumpkin Pasties and Chocolate Frogs,' Ron licked his lips before adding dreamily, 'Cauldron Cakes,' Harry laughed.

'Maybe we could go into Hogsmeade. We've been allowed all through the holidays and while the students aren't here, we could go one more time! We could go to Honeydukes then visit Zonko's, grab a Butterb- '

'Say no more, Harry... I'm with you!' Ron had come abruptly out of his dream state, and bounded out of his chair.

'Shall we get Hermione?' Ron asked. Harry wanted to say yes, but looking at Ron, the answer was obviously no. Something in Ron's eyes told him that it was time they spent some time on their own. Harry had to agree that the recent events had caused him to kind of neglect his best friend a bit; it was time to make it up to him.

'No, we should leave her really. You know what she's like when she's reading!' Harry said, subtly. Ron nodded energetically.

'Great, shall we go then? Got your money with you Harry?' Harry laughed, catching the almost said “our money” which Ron had changed at the last minute as he reached the portrait and pushed it open.

They strolled slowly into Hogsmeade and down the street to Honeydukes. He and Ron bought the biggest selection of sweets they had ever seen, and he doubted whether anybody had bought this amount in one go before. The bright-faced woman behind the counter, whose smile had grown bigger the more they had brought, waved them goodbye and wished them well. They came out, fifteen minutes later, with their pockets considerably lighter, and masses of bags.

'What do you think? Last us till the weekend?' Ron questioned while thoughtfully eyeing up all the bags they carried between them.

'Depends how much you can eat tonight!' Harry replied, smiling at Ron as they crossed the street and entered The Three Broomsticks. Harry approached the bar and smiled over at Madam Rosmerta before ordering and paying for two Butterbeers.

'You could have ordered me a firewhisky you know, Harry! I've been dying to try one. Mum won't let me though,' Ron said, exasperated at his mother.

'Don't think Madam Rosmerta would have let me buy you one either,' Harry told him, glancing back at the barmaid, whose stern face was denying a very drunk wizard another drink. Ron slumped onto a seat, chucked his bags of sweets onto the table and downed his Butterbeer in one go.

'Needed that,' Ron gasped, wiping his mouth, 'and I reckon your right there, she knows the students too well,' he added following Harry's comment.

'You're a pig, Ron!' Hermione exclaimed, coming up behind them, with another Butterbeer in her hand. 'You'll make yourself sick one of these days. Anyway, been up to much?' she asked, surveying the bags on the table with great curiosity, but knowing only too well what they would have picked to try in Honeydukes.

'Nah, not yet, just been in Honeydukes - you know how it is,' said Ron, innocently picking up Harry's untouched drink and taking a gulp from it. Hermione snorted.

'Oh, Harry, I got you a surprise,' she didn't leave time for him to respond before dumping her bags on the table and shifting though them. 'For our new home!' she exclaimed pulling a neatly framed picture from one of the bags. 'I brought this for a bit of décor. Put our own mark on it.'

Harry took the frame she was holding out to him and studied the picture. It was blank for a moment, then lines started to draw themselves across the parchment inside the frame, it drew the building they were currently in and labelled everyone in it, including Ron, Hermione and himself.

'It adjusts to the building your in, kind of like your map, I thought we could pin it to the wall in the living room and then when someone comes to the door we can see who it is before we open it,' she stopped, watching Harry as he examined the parchment carefully. 'We never know who might call that we don't want to see,' she added looking at Ron and smiling.

'Wha... me?' said Ron, slightly hurt at the innuendo.

'Don't be silly, of course not you!' Hermione said fondly. 'But no, on a more serious note Harry, it's a good idea, isn't it? And so elegant, warns us if danger is at the door!' Her eyes widened, as they always did when she came up with a sincerely good idea. 'I'm sure we'll be safe, what with Dumbledore around, but I really don't want to take any risks. This way we'll be forewarned if Voldemort decides to make a visit.'

Harry had a fleeting image of Voldemort strolling through Hogsmeade and knocking on their door like a door-to-door salesman, but dismissed the idea quickly. Hermione was probably right, with a baby, one that was designed by Voldemort; they probably were going to be in danger when it was born. The truth is no one fully understood why he had decided to create a baby through Harry and Hermione. It didn't suit his nature and Harry worried that he had plans for it.

'Every precaution is necessary, Hermione,' Harry said finally, placing the map back in the bag, and taking Hermione's hand to pull her into the seat beside him and then wrapping his arm around her shoulder. This really didn't make him feel any safer; in fact, it had opened a whole load of new possibilities Harry hadn't even begun to think of. Hermione took a last sip from her glass and looked down at her watch.

'Ohh... It's later than I thought. Care to walk me back to the castle?' she requested and Harry and Ron gathered all their belongings and took a leisurely walk back up to the castle with her.

~~**~~

The day had altogether taken off with a very bad start, but Harry, Ron and Hermione's spirits had been lifted by the consumption of Butterbeer. Everyone in the castle seemed exceptionally busy with the arrivals of the students, and soon enough nerves had settled at the bottom of Harry's stomach.

'Ready to bare all the torments of the students?' Hermione said, with a slight glint of fear in her eyes. Harry sighed matching the fear in his own eyes.

'Erm, not really.' Harry's mind had shot to the Slytherin's table. He wondered what their reaction would be once they'd been told what was happening, assuming they didn't already know. Hogwarts gossip usually spread around like wild fire, but there had never been gossip of this sort in all the time Hogwarts had been open.

Later that day Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand to the Great Hall, Ron at their side as always. They where just fantasising about the feast they would enjoy shortly, Ron halfway through deciding on the perfect three course meal, when Peeves popped out of a side classroom and looked delightedly at the trio.

'Ooooh, its potty wee Potter!' he shouted gleefully, 'and his girrrrrrrrrlfriend!!!' Peeves blew the loudest imaginable raspberry and flew straight above their heads. 'Let’s see how well potty wee Potter protects his pretty girrrlfriend!' He cackled and picked up the helmet of the nearest suit of arms and raised it high above their heads. 'Mrs Potty won't remember a THING!' Peeves screamed, before chucking it at her. Hermione dodged it and Harry stepped forward pointing his wand at Peeves, but before he could do anything with it, Peeves flew past them and grabbed the sword from the next nearest suit of armour and charged at Hermione with it. Hermione was shocked by the sudden attack and screamed and crouched into a ball burying her face in her arms.

'ACCIO SWORD!' Harry shouted. The sword came whizzing out of Peeves' hand towards Harry's outstretched one. He dropped it hurriedly to the floor and scrambled to Hermione.

'Whheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Potty saves the day!!' squealed Peeves above them, shooting off down the corridor and out of sight.

'The Bloody Baron will hear about this Peeves!' yelled Ron fiercely, shaking his fist in the air at the retreating poltergeist. Peeves' cackling could be heard around the corner as he bounced down the corridor.

'Hermione, its okay, he's gone,' Harry said, reassuringly rubbing at her back until she looked around at him. She straightened up and brushed the creases from her robes.

'Thanks Harry, thanks Ron,' she pecked Ron on the cheek and took Harry's hand before continuing on their journey to the Great Hall; Harry could feel her shaking as they went.

The trio entered the hall and made their way to the Gryffindor table. Having taken their seat, they examined the teachers' table. Professor Dumbledore was in his usual seat; set in the centre of the long line of chairs that were on either side of him. To his left sat Professors Snape, Sprout and several other teachers. On his right, Professor McGonagall's seat was empty and Professor Flitwick was climbing gracefully into his. Along the row of more teachers and empty seats sat a disgruntled looking Hagrid. He had already explained that he wasn't meeting the first year students this time; they were being met by members of the Order of the Phoenix for their own safety.

Soon enough the Hall began to fill with students, most of whom faces were recognisable. As soon as the Gryffindor table had got sorted and the excited buzz had calmed down, attention moved rapidly over to Hermione. Lavender Brown was first to come over.

'Hermione, you're all right?' she asked, looking Hermione over from head to toe. 'I read in the Daily Prophet that you had vanished and reappeared outside the school, what happened?' she asked only to be tapped on the shoulder by Professor McGonagall.

'To your seat Miss Brown, the Sorting will begin in a moment,' she said, shooing Lavender back to her seat and proceeding out of the hall.

Harry's eyes burned with a happiness at being back to the usual school year, even if this one would be somewhat different and much more of a struggle. He gazed around the now familiar room that had been strange to him over the last few weeks when his eyes rested on Draco Malfoy. His sordid, sour looking face hadn't changed over the holidays as Harry had expected, and when he realised Harry was watching him he gave a wink and smirked at him before turning to whisper to Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting to his left. Panic-stricken, Harry elbowed Hermione who gently shook her head.

'Ignore him, he probably doesn't know anymore than everyone else. His dad isn't in Voldemort's circle to give him snippets of information right now,' she was right, but Harry had been shocked to realise that Hermione had been watching the exchange between them. Harry turned to see Ron sitting next to him; his eyes flicked from Malfoy to Harry, a grim expression on his face.

'He knows something,' Ron muttered to Harry, so no one else could hear. 'Look at his smarmy face, stupid ugly git. He's going to get it this year... if it's the last thing I do!' Harry looked back at Malfoy, who was now deep in conversation with four of his fellow Slytherins by now. Ron seemed to snap out of his trance, and patted Harry on the back.

'Anyway, Uncle Ronnie's getting hungry!' he announced, patting his stomach as he stuck it out towards Harry. 'Bring on the Sorting, Dumbledore's speech and the feast!' Ron seemed jubilant at this thought. Hermione's eyebrows fused together at a look of fond exasperation and frustration at Ron. Her expression spoke her reply, to which Ron breathed in and sat up straight not wanting to talk.

The doors to the Hall opened suddenly, and Professor McGonagall led the wide eyed, terror stricken first years in whose expressions changed rapidly from fear to excitement and then to curiosity before resetting to fear. Harry put his hand tentatively under the table giving Hermione's knee a soft squeeze under the table, to which Hermione acknowledged by taking his hand.

'First years, over here; line up, quickly please!' Professor McGonagall's familiar strict voice requested. 'When I call your name, you will put on the Sorting Hat and sit on the stool,' she instructed unrolling the parchment of names in her hand as she spoke. 'Andrews, Trevor' she called and the scared looking boy stumbled on his way to the stool. He pulled the hat on carefully and sat waiting.

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

'Bettering, Megan.'

'RAVENCLAW!'

The Sorting seemed to go on forever as 'Magdalene, Toby,' was placed in Gryffindor and an annoyed looking boy called 'Roberts, Nathan,' was sent to the Slytherins and finally a black haired girl 'Zorte, Jessemy,' was sent to 'GRYFFINDOR!'

'Remind you of anyone?' Ron said to Harry quietly, gesturing to Hermione as the over enthusiastic girl practically ran to the Gryffindor table, as the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers.

In anticipation, Ron seized his knife and fork and stared at the golden dish in front of him almost willing it to fill with food. But at the teachers table, Dumbledore had gotten to his feet.

'Welcome to a new and readily awaited year at Hogwarts!' Albus Dumbledore announced, arms wide open in his usual fond reception. 'The usual school rules apply this year, as they have done every year previous. The Forbidden Forest, is still as such, forbidden, and the Caretaker, Mr. Filch, would like to remind you all that Dungbombs in the corridors will result in punishment. It seems that life here is unchanged by happenings in the outside world, but there have been changes that affect some more than others,' Dumbledore flicked a glance towards Harry and Hermione before continuing. 'Last year's Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Davis, has unfortunately been recalled to the Ministry of Magic. Although, we will not forget his unusual teaching methods anytime soon,' he paused smiling.

'Too bloody right!' Ron exclaimed, rubbing his arm in the memory of a previous lesson with the teacher.

'This year, Defence against the Dark Arts will be taught by Madam Frankovich,' Dumbledore indicated a tall, thin, respectable looking lady with neat black hair and bright brown eyes who promptly stood up at the sound of the polite applause throughout the Great Hall.

'The past year has brought us dreadful news, the consequence of which has aged all our faces... summer seems to have regenerated all of our spirits and our new school year should teach us things that will aid in the years to come, although I am bound by my duties as headmaster to impress on you all there will be a difference in this year's outcome. A good thing has occurred where a bad thing was expected, all of this caused by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named who took advantage and seemingly good pride in abducting one of our older students from her home,' Dumbledore's eyes fixed on Hermione, as did every student who had her in their vision.

'This abduction should have been a way to trap, Harry Potter, best friend to this student, but with everyone's help, he will not prevail in this attempt. By May next year, Miss Hermione Granger, will be the most protected student in this school. Her life and the life of the innocent, unborn child that she now carries; will be in need of everyone's protection, especially that of the child's father, Harry. Dumbledore paused to let the murmur that had started settle. 'I have no doubt that those in their dormitories and common rooms will show them the greatest respect and offer a helping hand when needed. As for now, let's eat,' Dumbledore finished smiling at Harry and Hermione who both smiled back before he sat down.

Turning back to the table, Hermione ignored the looks of those nearest to her and began spooning large amounts of stew onto hers and Harry's plates. Dean Thomas sat with his mouth wide open gaping at them both, seemingly unaware that the feast had begun. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were examining Hermione as if she'd done something revolting, and Neville had a look of pride and shock on his face.

The feast was uneventful, very few of the students asked questions about what had happened, which Harry thought must be taking a great effort, and eventually the plates emptied out.

With the puddings gone and the muttering dying out from tiredness, Dumbledore once again got to his feet.

'Ahh, the satisfaction of a new year that begins tomorrow. Well fed and watered as you are, your next agenda should be sleep, so off with you all.'

Hermione and Ron got up quickly and led the first years from the hall. Harry followed behind the last first year, who looked back at him every now and again and almost tripped on the way up the stairs to the Seventh floor where Gryffindor common room was hidden.

In though the portrait, Harry waited for Hermione and Ron to finish with the first years, said goodnight to Ron who replied while yawning and left with Hermione heading for their own room and their own comfortable bed for the night.

'I think Dumbledore did that rather well, don't you agree?' Hermione asked, as Harry opened the door to their room. Harry yawned.

'Definitely,' he replied, wrapping his arms around Hermione and kissing her, before leading her into their bedroom for some well-deserved sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The first week of term started almost without incident, it would have done better if it weren't for the first Friday morning.

Monday morning was a free period for Harry, who no longer had Divination to attend; however, he found this time to be extremely boring without Hermione or Ron to talk to. He strolled the corridors, visited the Gryffindor common room and ended up in the library with Neville whose OWL had also dropped Divination from his schedule.

Double Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid in the afternoon turned out to be a normal lesson; for once Hagrid didn't bring out some strange and deadly creature that he knew nothing about. Instead the class along with the Slytherins were treated to an unusually fun lesson with Fawkes the phoenix.

'Dumbledore lent 'im ter me,' he explained. 'Now then, Fawkes here is a very unusual phoenix. For one, he's domesticated; phoenixes're usually free spirits, would rather attack than become a pet. Look at 'is wings an' the colour o' his features, aren' they beautiful?' As Hagrid finished, Fawkes stretched out his wings as far as they would go, causing several of the students to back away.

'Right, who can tell me some reasons why wizards try ter domesticate phoenixes?' Hagrid asked and looked around at the students. Harry and Hermione both had their hands in the air, as did a Slytherin and Neville.

'Neville?' Hagrid asked and waited for his reply.

'Its singing voice causes the listener to have courage,' Neville said quietly. Malfoy sniggered, the idea of this was obviously too ridiculous for him.

'Tha's right, five points ter Gryffindor. The voice of a phoenix encourages those nearest ter it ter complete whatever task they believe they can't do. Harry?'

'Phoenix tears have healing powers,' Harry said in complete confidence, having once experienced the effects of phoenix tears.

'Brilliant Harry, ten points to Gryffindor. There's not many wizards who've witnessed this, and a lot o' people believe this is jus' a myth, but I know of two people who've been healed by this particular phoenix,' Hagrid added.

'Yeah, I'm one of them,' Harry added with a wink at Hagrid.

'What rubbish!' Malfoy snapped. 'It’s just a bird,' Fawkes took flight at these words; he swooped around the class, almost taking Malfoy's head off with his wings, and came to rest on Harry's shoulder between him and Hermione. Automatically, Harry reached up and stroked the side of the bird's head. Tentatively, Hermione reached up and stoked him too, while Ron almost ran to join in.

'Moving on then, Pansy, what other reason do we wan' phoenixes for?' Malfoy's head snapped to look at Pansy so fast Harry could have sworn it must have hurt.

'Their features make powerful wands when mixed with other rare creatures such as unicorns,' she added.

'Five points to Slytherin,' Hagrid said. 'Although, if you want to learn more about tha', you'll have to ask Mr Ollivander, cos I don't know much abou' wands. One more then,' Hermione's left hand was in the air; the other idly stroking Fawkes still perched on Harry's shoulder; 'Hermione?'

'They're extremely strong. One Phoenix can carry up to five hundred times its own weight.'

'How much does he weigh?' Lavender asked and received the answer almost instantly; Fawkes had flown from Harry's shoulder and was hovering over Lavender, who was cowering away from it.

'Lavender, just stand up straight, he doesn't bite,' Harry said and moved towards Lavender who slowly straightened up. Fawkes waited until Harry was directly in front of Lavender before carefully coming to rest on her shoulder.

'He's not that heavy,' Lavender said.

'So, how many of us can it carry?' Pansy asked, getting into the fun of having a phoenix in class; she was standing close to Harry and slowly daring to touch Fawkes.

'I don't know,' Harry said, 'but he managed to pull Ron, Ginny, Lockhart and me out of the Chamber of Secrets in our second year.'

'Wicked,' Pavati exclaimed, sounding momentarily like Ron.

'I'm afraid,' a voice behind the class said, causing everyone to turn and look at Professor Dumbledore, who had ambled up to the group unnoticed, 'that Fawkes needs to run an errand for me, so I must extract him from your class,' he added smiling. Fawkes took flight once more and drifted back to the castle with Dumbledore following.

The rest of the class was spent drawing phoenixes, as this was the only thing Hagrid had been able to think of in such a short time, but Harry, Ron and Hermione had the best time.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday followed in a similar fashion, even Neville losing his telescope off the Astronomy Tower on Wednesday night and receiving detention for disrupting the class; was less of a struggle than Friday's lessons.

On Friday morning, Harry woke to find Hermione sat in the Open Room; her head was resting on a book as if she'd spent most of the night there. Waking her gently, Harry noticed that she was considerably paler than normal, but all expressing his concerns got him was a scolding for being over-protective.

They met Ron in the Great Hall for breakfast; both he and Ginny, who sat a few places away, noticed her pale features and both received the same scolding as Harry had.

Now extremely worried about Hermione's short temper and lack of colour, Ron and Harry followed her to the dungeons for their first Potions lesson of the final year. Professor Snape arrived shortly after the trio, which was a good thing as Draco Malfoy had taken to edging his way around the Slytherins towards them.

As the class took their seats, Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting at the back as far away from the Slytherins as possible, Professor Snape started the lesson.

'Today we shall start work on a potion which requires top concentration and six weeks to complete. Instructions are on the board,' Snape tapped the board and the instructions wormed their way onto it. 'Get to work and I'll give out the extra ingredients you'll need today.'

Harry bent to retrieve his bag from the floor but was distracted by Hermione, who nearly tripped in her haste to leave the room. Harry stood bolt upright and banged his head on the table as he watched her go.

'Potter,' Snape hissed, causing Harry to look around at him. One small motion and Harry followed Hermione from the room almost as quickly.

Stepping out of the room, Harry ran the length of the dark, dank corridor to the underground classrooms and took the stairs at the end of the corridor three at a time. Stumbling out into the brightly lit Entrance Hall, Harry quickly squinted around looking for the vanishing Hermione, before heading to the grand staircase; he had almost reached them when someone unexpectedly called his name.

'Harry?' Professor Dumbledore was standing in the doorway to the Great Hall. Harry stumbled as he spun around and headed towards him, words spilling out of his mouth as he went.

'Professor, did you see Hermione? She...' Harry was cut off as Hermione emerged from the bathroom next to the Great Hall. Harry practically ran to her, taking in her still pale face now stained with tears. He quickly reached out and pulled her into a tight hug and stayed this way until Dumbledore interrupted them, clearing his throat.

'Perhaps, as a precaution, it would be wise for Miss Granger to visit the Hospital Wing,' he said, watching the couple separate.

'Yeah, I think so too,' Harry said, and began to lead Hermione back to the stairs.

'Harry,' Dumbledore interrupted, 'you need to return to class,' he stopped, putting a hand up to silence Harry's coming protest. 'I will see Hermione safely to Madam Pomfrey; you can visit her during your break,' Harry began to protest again, but found he had no words to use in his defence. Giving up, he kissed Hermione quickly on the cheek and watched as Dumbledore led her up the stairs and out of sight.

Harry didn't pay much attention as he turned, crossed the hall and took the stairs back down to the dungeons. He was paying less attention as he pushed open the doors to Snape's classroom and back over to his desk. It wasn't until Ron jabbed him in the side, causing him to look up, that he found Professor Snape in front of him holding out a piece of parchment.

'Start now Potter and you can return at lunchtime to catch up with the rest of the class,' Snape instructed, before turning away and returning to his desk at the front of the room. Harry sat shocked; the parchment was the full instructions on the potion and Snape hadn't berated him about being out of class for so long, nor had he taken points from either Harry or Hermione.

The rest of the lesson was eventless; Snape had taken to leaving Harry well alone; and even passed up the opportunity to make snide comments about his potion as he inspected the class' progress. When the bell went at the end of the lesson, Harry and Ron made a quick dash for the door; they were very nearly the first out, except Professor Snape called Harry back.

'Potter,' he yelled, giving Harry a sense of foreboding. Harry stopped, waiting for the ball to drop. 'If Miss Granger wishes to make a start on this potion, she may do so with yours and Mr Weasley's help at lunchtime. You, however, must return regardless,' Snape said, then lowered his head to continue marking the papers on his desk.

'Thanks Professor,' Harry said, slightly shocked, then left the room quickly and followed Ron up to the Entrance Hall.

'What was that all about? He's completely flipped,' Ron said, slightly taken aback by Snape's attitude.

'I don't know, I think Dumbledore might have stopped Snape from punishing Hermione in some situations,' Harry offered, not really convinced of this idea.

'What happened to Hermione anyway?' Ron asked, as they made their way up the stairs and around the corner.

'I don't know,' Harry said again, getting the impression that he was once again out of the loop on something important. 'She looked like she'd been sick when I found her. Dumbledore took her to the Hospital Wing.'

'He took her to the Hospital Wing?' Ron asked, staring at Harry and attempting to pick out his expression. 'He took her to the Hospital Wing? He didn't send you with her?'

'No,' Harry said, turning another corner. 'He forced me back to lessons, but I did try to protest, I just couldn't find the words. Besides, he's the headmaster; what was I going to do, refuse to go back to the lesson and get expelled?' Harry stopped outside the Hospital Wing and turned to Ron. 'I didn't get much choice; it's probably nothing, I bet this happens in most pregnancies.'

'You don't sound very convinced mate,' Ron said, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

'She's back in your room, Potter,' Madam Pomfrey shouted from the other end of the wing.

'What happened?' Harry called, stopping just beside Ron.

'Morning Sickness, Potter, it's completely normal. Now out, before I find a reason to keep you in,' Harry and Ron turned and left quickly, heading back to Harry's room.

'I'll catch you up mate, need to do these laces again,' Ron said, stopping before reaching their room and bending down to tie his undone laces. As he stood up again and rounded the corner, he ran headlong into someone. 'Sorry,' he said, quickly bending to pick up the spilt books that his victim had dropped. Straightening up to give back the books, Ron found himself face to face with a very pretty Ravenclaw seventh-year. 'I err, didn't mean to bump into you, I was just...' Ron cut off as the Ravenclaw girl smiled back at him.

'I'm Ren; short for Serendipity,' she gave another smile before starting again. 'I'm Serendipity Mitchell.'

'Ron Weasley,' Harry said, stepping up behind them and guessing that Ron wouldn't answer her, as his jaw seemed to be locked in an open position. 'And I'm Harry,' he added, as Ren turned back to Ron. 'Erm, Ron, I think Ren would like her books back.'

'Right, yes, here,' Ron said handing back the books he still had in his hand. Ren took them with a chuckle and said thanks to Harry before smiling again at Ron and vanishing around the corner, knowing all too well that Ron was watching her.

'Ron and Ren,' Harry said, causing Ron to look back at him. 'That's cute,' he added, smiling slightly at Ron just as the bell rang to start the next lesson. Lunchtime came quickly, and Ron and Harry ran from the Transfiguration classroom to get Hermione and make their way down to the dungeons. By the time lunch was over, both Harry and Hermione had made considerable progress on their potions, and if they had more time, they could have taken over the rest of the class.

Hurrying to Defence against the Dark Arts, they entered the room only a few minutes late and extremely hungry. They were all relieved to find they shared this lesson with Ravenclaw and not Slytherin.

'Hey Ron, look who's here,' Harry said, pointing across the room to Ren.

'Who's that?' Hermione asked, curiously eyeing the girl who Harry pointed to.

'No one,' Ron shot back, looking down at his book and pretending to read.

'Ron, your book's upside down,' Hermione giggled then turned to Harry; 'so, who is she?'

'Ren; Ron, erm, sort of bumped into her on his way to our room, couldn't even get his name out,' Harry laughed.

'Shut up will ya,' Ron said, as Madam Frankovich entered.

'Right then,' Madam Frankovich called over the chattering students. 'On with the lesson,' she smiled and several students smiled back, including Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Madam Frankovich gave the impression to everyone that she wouldn't be one to fool around with, but how wrong they were. Defence against the Dark Arts was surprisingly fun; they had a good laugh at drawings wizards had done of mythical and dark creatures, and Madam Frankovich even had a good laugh while drawing one or two herself.

'Doesn't look all that scary when I draw it does it?' She laughed along with the class. 'I have an idea, shall we play a game? I'll draw, rather badly, a feared creature, and you tell me which one you think it is. If you get it right, it's your turn to draw.'

The seventh year Gryffindors left that classroom with a smile on their faces, chatting avidly about the pictures each had drawn. Even with all the fun, the class had received homework; but no one seemed to mind, they were given so much fun in class they doubted homework for her would ever become a chore.

The following few months were just the same as the first week, the only thing that changed in this time was the amount of homework they received and the pressure that Professor McGonagall laid on them all at the beginning of every lesson.

'This is your final year, your NEWTs are the most important and last educational exams you will be able to take. After here, you're into training for you chosen jobs,' she would say at the start of every class, and by the end of October Harry could recite it along with her and the class.

The weekend at the end of October was a Hogsmeade trip, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had arranged to take a trip together. Ginny was going with them instead of her usual bunch of friends as she had spent all her money over the holidays and was hoping against hope that Ron would be a loving brother and buy her some sweets from Honeydukes Sweet shop.

Harry woke early on the morning of the Hogsmeade day and looked around his and Hermione's room, taking in the neatly folded clothing spread across the room on chairs and the dressing table, which was also covered in pieces of parchment and ink pots. The map for their home was standing upright on the top of the dresser mirror, it was blank and Harry assumed Hogwarts was too big to fit.

Slipping onto his side, Harry slid his hand across Hermione's side. She lay flat on her back, her face looking away from Harry. Harry glanced down the length of her body and froze; his body stiffening as he stared. The covers had been kicked off by the pair in the middle of the hot night, and Hermione's top had ridden up in the night. It now rested just above her stomach, which was where Harry's eyes were currently fixed. He had almost forgotten that she was pregnant, almost forgotten the reason they were able to share a room, but now he couldn't forget again. Harry reached out his left hand and ran it gently across Hermione's slightly raised stomach. He could now see that the growth of his child was beginning to show.

His eyes still locked on the bump of Hermione's stomach and his hand resting atop it, the weight taken off, as he was afraid he might squash it, Harry didn't notice that Hermione had woken up and was watching the expression of shock on his face.

'Harry,' Hermione whispered, moving her right hand down to join his.

'It's real!' Harry said, the reality of the whole situation sinking in at last. 'I didn't really believe it before, but it's real!' He breathed, still not taking his eyes off the raised stomach that was the current home for his child. Hermione reached up and kissed him, before letting her head hit the pillow again and pulling Harry closer.

The couple sat this way for quite some time; it was only when there was a knock on the door that Harry broke his trance and let Hermione get up to answer it.

'Are you coming then? You're not even dressed Hermione!' Ron said, stepping into the room followed by Ginny, who patted Hermione's stomach on her way past as she had taken to doing since the start of the year.

'We won't be long. Harry just realised he's going to be a dad eventually,' Hermione said, giving them an 'about time too' look that made Ginny giggle.

Harry and Hermione appeared moments later from their room, fully dressed and ready to set out. Harry said nothing; in fact, he said nothing all the way down to the Entrance Hall, out past Filch and into the grounds, through the winged boar gates and down the path to Hogsmeade. Ron had spoken to him several times on the way and had gotten no response from him. It was only when Ron turned the corner and walked right into someone, falling flat on his back, that Harry made any noise to show he was paying attention to the situation.

'Sorry, I didn't mean t...' Ron stammered, as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He had given Harry a look that told the three behind him that this wasn't funny, even though all three of them had burst out laughing. Ron stopped mid-sentence when he realised just who it was he had knocked down.

'It's ok, Ron. Are you alright?' Ren asked, hastily picking up the scattered sweets that had flown from her Honeydukes bag on impact.

Ron didn't move or answer; he stayed sitting on the ground in stunned silence, watching her pick up sweets, while the others stood back attempting not to laugh at the expression on Ron's face.

When Ron finally moved, he clumsily scrambled to his feet and held out his hand in an offer to help Ren up. When they were both on their feet, Ron gave a feeble smile, glanced quickly at his friends and sister before asking:

'Do you... erm... do you want to hang with us in Hogsmeade?' Ren smiled back, she wanted to just say 'yes' but there were others with him who didn't ask her to join them.

'I would but I don't think your friends would want me hanging around,' she said, looking over at Harry who had one arm around Hermione's waist and the other over Ginny's shoulder.

'We don't mind,' Hermione said, looking at the others who nodded in agreement.

'Are you sure?' Ren asked. 'I've never got a good look around here; I don't have anyone to walk with so I usually just come to Honeydukes and then go back to school.'

'We're sure,' Harry said smiling. Ron stood, still holding Ren's hand from helping her up, goggling at her. 'Erm, this is Hermione,' he added, giving her a squeeze, 'and this is Ron's sister, Ginny,' he added, as Ginny gave a little wave.

'I'm Ren,' Ren smiled at them before adding, 'its short for Serendipity, but I hate being called that,' she giggled and followed the group into Hogsmeade's main street.

They had a great time in Hogsmeade. They went to Honeydukes and filled up bags with sweets; Hermione only brought a few, and when Harry complained, she argued that she was already going to get fat and didn't want to help it any. They visited Zonko's, and showed Ren the Post Office and the Shrieking Shack. Ginny had the best time, as Ron was so interested in Ren he brought her lots of things from all the shops they visited. She knew it was only to make him look like the world's best brother, but she didn't care.

When they had visited everywhere again, and showed Ren every possible thing about Hogsmeade, the group made their way to the Three Broomsticks for cold drinks of Butterbeer. After a few hours of rest, they decided they should make a start back to school and climbed out of their chairs and left the pub.

They crossed the street and started down an alleyway they had taken many times to get back to school quicker, Harry, Ron and Ren in the lead with Hermione and Ginny taking up the rear at a distance.

'Aww, what's wrong Mudblood? Lover boy not wanting to walk with you anymore?' Malfoy had stepped out from around a corner between Harry and Hermione, his sneering face gave Hermione the impression he had something planned.

'Go away Malfoy,' Ginny spat at him, stepping between him and Hermione. Malfoy's grin spread wider.

'Traded Potter in for a girlfriend have you Mudblood?' Behind him, Ron made a sharp move towards him, but was stopped by Harry and Ren who didn't want to start trouble. 'Have you any idea what it's gonna be like Mudblood? Giving birth is very painful and most women can't stand it. Mind you, you're not a woman, so it probably won’t make much difference to you,' Crabbe and Goyle, who were standing either side of Malfoy, guffawed stupidly. Malfoy raised his wand at Ginny. 'Move the weasel,' Malfoy hissed, and Crabbe and Goyle suddenly moved and grabbed Ginny, pulling her roughly out of the way.

Harry moved quickly, letting Ron go, and closed the distance between himself and Malfoy; only, he was too late.

'Dolore Afficere,' Malfoy shouted, and Harry stopped, stunned, as Hermione crumbled to the floor in pain. Malfoy turned to leave, but was greeted with Ron's right fist in his face, while Ren and Ginny struggled against Crabbe and Goyle.

'Harry,' Hermione whispered from the floor of the alleyway, as Malfoy and his cronies made their escape. Harry dropped to Hermione's side and pulled her close, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't done anything seriously bad to her.

'GET HELP!' Harry yelled; wrapping his arms even tighter around her waist, he could feel her tears on his shoulder. 'It's ok Hermione, it's going to be ok,' he breathed, more to himself than to her. Ron and Ren ran all the way back to school. They entered the grounds, passing a group of fourth-years who were strolling comfortably back in, narrowly missing Hagrid as he stepped onto the path, and burst through the doors to the Entrance Hall and headed to the stairs.

'WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU ARE DOING?' The words had only just reached their ears when ropes bound the pair together, and they were spun around to find themselves face to face with none other than Severus Snape. 'You do NOT enter the school in that fashion, 20 points from each of your Houses,' he glared at them.

'Sir, its Hermione. Malfoy attacked her!' Ren said hurriedly, having more breath left in her throat than Ron.

'I will not hear lies about a member of my House, another 5 points from Ravenclaw, Miss Mitchell.'

'I'm not lying, she’s in pain. We need to get to the Hospital Wing, she needs...'

'Silence,' Snape shouted, 'one more word from either of you and you'll find yourselves in detention so fast it will make you oversized heads spin.'

'Severus!' Snape looked up quickly as the Headmaster made his way over to the tied students. 'What is the meaning of this?'

'They were disturbing the castle, Headmaster, and telling lies about another student,' Snape informed him.

'Untie them, Severus,' Snape did as he was told and Ren climbed quickly to her feet. Ron followed, clutching a particularly painful stitch in his right side.

'Professor...' Ren breathed, now finding it hard to get the right words out, '...Malfoy, he attacked Hermione. She's in a lot of pain down an alley in Hogsmeade. Harry and Ginny are with her, but we came back to get Madam Pomfrey,' Ren took a deep breath and waited.

'Miss Mitchell, to the Hospital Wing and get Madam Pomfrey and Healer Moon. Mr Weasley, show me to Miss Granger. Severus, I want you to find Mr Malfoy; I will meet you in my office,' Albus said all this quickly while following Ron out the still open doors and into the grounds.

Ron rounded the corner of the alley and ran to Harry and Hermione with Albus close on his heels. Hermione was sobbing with the pain as Albus kneeled at her side.

'It's been getting worse!' Harry said a note of panic in his voice.

'Where's Ginny?' Ron asked, looking around for his sister.

'She went to get something to cool Hermione down,' Harry said, watching as Dumbledore examined the girl in his arms for signs of damage.

'Out of the way, move it!' Madam Pomfrey said shoving Ron to the side as she and Healer Moon pushed passed him. Albus stood quickly, and as Madam Pomfrey took Hermione, he pulled Harry up and away from them. They stood back as the two medical witches examined her. Midway through, Ginny returned with a damp cloth, a bowl of iced water and a crowd of people and teachers, who had heard what had happened while Ginny had bartered with Madam Rosmerta for the cloth and water.

'There's nothing wrong, not with her anyway. Her own panic is causing the baby distress, but whatever happened it was only meant to make her think she was in pain. I need to get her to St Mungo's,' Healer Moon said, looking up at Albus as she said the last part, and received a nod. The Healer turned to Ginny, who was nearest, and took hold of an item that was poking out from her pocket. She tapped it three times with her wand, while keeping it in contact with Hermione and Poppy Pomfrey, and the group vanished.

'Harry, Ron, Ginny, Serendipity. Follow me please,' Dumbledore said, and turned to return to the castle. Along corridors filled with staring students and up stairs with watching portraits, Harry's mind wandered into London and right in through the carefully hidden front doors of St Mungo's Hospital, where he followed an old Healer right to Hermione's bed where he should have been standing, holding her hand and telling her it was still ok. But instead, Harry found himself standing in Dumbledore's office with his friends, and it was only when Ron jabbed him in the side that he realised where he was. Looking around quickly, Harry spotted Draco Malfoy standing unperturbed in the corner.

'YOU!' Harry hissed at him. 'I'll kill you for what you did!' Harry made a move forward but three sets of hands grabbed his robes to hold him back. 'You could have just left her alone, but you arrogant, stuck-up; daddy's boy had to go and stick your ugly face in, didn't you!' Harry's voice was rising again and the three holding him back were struggling to keep him away as he pulled even closer to an alone and very frightened looking Malfoy.

'Harry,' Dumbledore's voice called calmly from behind his desk, 'you will gain nothing from hurting Mr Malfoy,' Harry glared at Dumbledore and harshly shrugged off his friends who were still holding him back. 'Now then, if someone would please explain what happened?' As soon as he had said it, all four of them started talking at once. Dumbledore held up his hand for silence. 'Mr Weasley,' he said, beckoning Ron to tell the story.

'We left the Three Broomsticks to come back here, well not up here, but back to the school, and we took the alley like we always do; us three in front,' he pointed to himself, Harry and Ren 'and Ginny and Hermione following...'

'Halfway down the alley, Malfoy stepped out...' Ginny said stepping in as Ron took a breath. 'He was taunting Hermione and Harry, and at one point me, so I stepped in between Hermione and Malfoy, but he told Crabbe and Goyle to move me, and he pointed his wand at Hermione and said something and she just curled up in pain,' Ginny finished, watching Dumbledore's expression which for the moment was unreadable.

'What words did he use?' Dumbledore asked, looking around the group whose faces all drew a blank expression as they tried to remember what he had said.

'Dolore Afficere,' Ren said suddenly.

'Oh, my Heroes,' Snape sneered. 'An Imaginary Pain Jinx is hardly going to do any damage.'

'Severus,' Albus said, giving Snape an uncharacteristically stern look, 'it has already caused a problem with the baby and Miss Granger has been taken to St Mungo's,' Dumbledore added, watching the sneer on Snape's face vanish. 'This is your only warning Mr Malfoy,' Dumbledore turned to Malfoy still standing in the corner, 'do anything like this again to Miss Granger and it will result in your expulsion from this school. For now, you will receive detention every day for the next fifteen days, and 50 points will be taken from Slytherin for an unprovoked attack on another student. Now back to your common rooms, all of you.'

Malfoy was the first to move; he wrenched the door open and started down the spiral staircase. Harry, who had been wishing Malfoy expelled, sat frozen for a moment before following. He rushed past his friend on the stairs and burst out from the opening.

'Malfoy!' Harry bellowed, as Malfoy made his way from the office. 'Malfoy!' he called again and Malfoy stopped and turned to face him.

'What do you want Potter?' he spat at Harry, who quickly closed the gap between them, pulled back his arm and punched Malfoy in the face. He was pulling his arm back for a second punch when Ron and Ginny seized it. Instinctively, Harry reached for his wand with his spare hand, but it was gone. Ren had taken it, expecting him to want it when he couldn't hit Malfoy. Spotting the opportunity, Malfoy turned and ran down the corridor and out of sight.

'What did you do that for?' Harry yelled, rounding on Ron.

'Snape hasn't come down yet, do you want to end up in detention with him?' Ron replied pointing down the corridor Malfoy had just vanished down.

'Yeah,' Harry retorted, 'then I could finish him off'

'You won't get Hermione out of St. Mungo's by killing Malfoy,' Ginny said, grabbing Harry's arm and leading him back to his room.

'No, but it'll make me feel better.' Harry inserted the key, turned it, and kicked the door open before stomping in and dropping into a chair in front of the fireplace. Ginny pushed the door shut; she was carefully considering her reply.

'Well, that won't help either of you,' she said carefully. 'You fight Malfoy, both end up in detention together, you kill him and get expelled. That leaves Hermione here alone and you out in the world with You-Know-Who! That sounds far worse than a final year of Malfoy.'

Harry opened his mouth to reply but couldn't find an argument; Ginny was right and he knew it, nothing good would come of killing Malfoy. He opened his mouth again, but all he wanted to say was that he'd get Malfoy if he ever came near them again, yet he knew that would only lead to the inevitable: detention or expulsion. Giving up, Harry pulled himself out of the chair and vanished into the Open Room, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione returned to school later that evening. Madam Pomfrey followed her into her common room and asked where Harry was before following Hermione into her bedroom.

Harry appeared in the room moments after Ron had cautiously gone to tell him that she was back. They were both told that Hermione had to rest. Harry was to collect homework from the teachers to keep her occupied while he was in classes, and also get meals for her so that she wouldn't have to climb back up the many stairs after eating. Healer Moon would visit every few days until she was happy that Hermione had rested enough, at which point Hermione would be allowed to return to classes.

After showing Madam Pomfrey out of the room, he explained everything to Ron, Ginny and Ren, who had stayed to make sure Harry was ok. After a few moments of chatting, they bade each other goodnight and departed for their own beds.


	6. Chapter 6

_Harry ran through the forest; he was chasing someone, but he was too far behind him or her to see who it was. Stopping to catch his breath, Harry slumped against the nearest tree, bending over slightly and resting his hands on his knees._

_'HARRY!' The voice carried shrilly through the forest like a blade through a soft fruit. 'HARRY!' He heard it again: a woman's voice and the sound of a crying baby._

_'Hermione,' Harry panted. How did he get here? When did he get here? And, more importantly, why was Hermione here too?_

_'HARRY!' her voice called again, and was followed by a scream of pain and an intensified scream of the baby._

_'Hermione,' Harry said, pushing off the tree and staggering forward. 'HER-MI-ON-EE!' he bellowed, hoping that she would hear him and respond so he could follow her voice to her location, but no response was heard. 'HER-MI-ON-EE!' he called again and waited in mute silence, hoping against hope for an answer. When it didn't come, Harry picked a direction and took off at a run._

'Harry, Harry?' Harry woke suddenly, and struggled to sit up. His eyes out of focus, he looked around the room. He didn't really understand where he was until Hermione reached out a hand and grabbed his shoulder.

'Harry,' she said, a note of panic in her voice that made him turn abruptly to face her. She was still lying back against the pillow, her left hand on his shoulder, her right on her raised stomach, and a look of pure horror on her face. In the last five months since all this began, Harry had never seen such fear in her eyes. He turned his body around to her and rested his hand carefully on her stomach.

'What's wrong?' he asked and didn't need to hear the answer. A sudden movement in her stomach answered the question for her. Harry jerked his hand away, afraid that it was something he had done, and turned to look back into her worried eyes.

'It doesn't feel right; it hurts, Harry,' Hermione's face distorted in pain and the movement though her stomach started again.

'Wait here, don't move,' Harry stammered as he climbed backwards off the bed and disappeared out the door quickly. He ran the distance to the hospital wing, not caring as he ran passed Filch, and burst through the doors. 'Madam Pomfrey? Healer Moon? ANYONE!' Harry bellowed, hoping someone was still around. When no one appeared, Harry made his way towards the office; if no one was there, he could at least use the fireplace to get Healer Moon back here to help her. Before he could step into the office, Harry found himself face to face with his worst nightmare.

'Mr. Potter, what brings you here at this time of night?' Professor Snape stood in the doorway of the Matrons office, his profile illuminated by firelight that obviously came from the fireplace he had intended to use and the sneer on his face breaking slowly into a malicious grin. 'I'm waiting, Potter,' he spat looking down at Harry as if he was simply a piece of dirt he could flick aside.

'It's Hermione, sir. She's in pain, and I came looking for Madam Pomfrey.'

'Bad dream, no doubt. You kids, you don't even know what you're getting yourselves into,' he snarled at Harry. 'Get back to bed Potter, before I put you in detention.'

'Professor! She needs help. Where's Madam Pomfrey?'

'You are in no position to demand anything, Potter. Now get back to your room or I WILL put you in detention,' Harry reached up quickly and grabbed Severus by the robes, pulling his face close to his own.

'I don't have time to play games...' he sneered through clenched teeth.

'Harry, please release Professor Snape,' glaring at Snape, Harry pushed him away and turned to Professor Dumbledore who had just entered the room via Harry's entry point. 'Now, what is going on?' Dumbledore asked calmly, looking between the two. Severus opened his mouth to answer, but Harry, sensing that no good words would come from his mouth, beat him to it.

'I came looking for Madam Pomfrey or Healer Moon because Hermione's in pain and Professor Snape won't tell me where either of them are,' Harry said in one quick, long sentence without pausing for breath.

'Madam Pomfrey is currently at St. Mungo's Hospital and will not return until tomorrow afternoon. Professor Snape has kindly volunteered to look after things here until she returned,' Dumbledore replied, watching as Harry turned to glare at Snape again.

'Convenient. I don't want him anywhere near Hermione, and she needs help,' Harry spat these words more angrily at Dumbledore than he had intended.

'Severus, kindly wake Minerva. I trust you will allow her to see to Miss Granger instead?' he asked with a polite smile at Harry as Snape brushed passed him.

'Thank you, Professor,' Harry said, feeling a calmness wash over him.

'Return to your room, Harry. Professor McGonagall will meet you there,' Dumbledore said and turned to leave. 'Oh, and Harry, I will not let you off for assaulting Professor Snape again. Please control yourself next time,' he added over his shoulder, before leaving the room.

Back in his room, Harry spent his time holding on tightly to Hermione's hand as the pain continued. He had only been back for a few minutes when Professor McGonagall entered the room; Harry had purposely left the door open for her. She watched Hermione for a moment and examined her carefully, before standing upright and speculating the problem.

'Well, you're too early for labour, but that seems to be what's going on.'

'No,' Hermione breathed, 'it can't be,' she let her head drop back as another wave of pain overtook her.

'I need to get Healer Moon back here, and fast,' Professor McGonagall turned to leave but was stopped by Hermione.

'Braxton hicks contractions,' she breathed, 'it's false labour. Muggles call them Braxton hick’s contractions, but they should stop,' Hermione said, raising her head slightly then letting it drop back to the pillow.

'Either way, I don't know how to stop them,' Professor McGonagall said, before sweeping from the room to summon Healer Moon. Professor McGonagall was gone for mere minutes, when she retuned, as promised, accompanied by Healer Moon.

'Yes indeed, you were quite right, Hermione, false labour, here...' she produced a small bottle from her pocket and handed it to her '...this should help ease the contractions.' 

~~**~~

Harry didn't sleep for the rest of the night. Hermione had taken the potion and drifted back into an uneasy sleep, the pain still evident in her face, but Harry spent the night at her side, watching her in fear that something like this would occur again.

At breakfast the next morning Harry didn't bother to eat. Ron and Hermione urged him to do so, but he was so tired he felt sick at the thought of shoving some form of food into his mouth. Intending to keep his head on the table until the bell for lessons rang. Harry pulled his arms over his head to block out Hermione's constant urgings, and suddenly found himself upright after feeling something tap him on the head. Hedwig had given him a sharp nip on the top of the head to get his attention; she had a letter for him. She stuck out her foot for him to take the small slip of parchment that was tired to her and then bobbed over to Hermione who had placed a few strips of bacon on a dish for her.

Harry unrolled the parchment and read the green handwriting:

_Your detention will be held tonight at 8.30.  
Please report to Professor McGonagall.  
Dumbledore._

Harry glanced up at the teachers' table; Dumbledore was watching him. He gave a slight nod and Harry nodded back.

'What did you get detention for?' Hermione said, in tone that only meant she disapproved of what he'd done without knowing what it was.

'Snape was being an insufferable git last night while I tried to get help. He was in the hospital wing because Madam Pomfrey was at St. Mungo's, and he said you'd only had a bad dream and refused to help, so I sorta made my point,' Hermione was looking at Harry in a very frightening way. 'I grabbed his robes and pulled him closer to tell him I wasn't making it up. Dumbledore came in at that point,' Harry added watching Hermione's expression change to disapproval.

'Harry, you attacked Professor Snape!'

'He was slowing me down when I was getting help for you.'

'What happened last night?' Ron said looking completely confused between Harry and Hermione.

'False labour, I don't want to have that again. It was horrible, felt like my stomach was going to explode,' at that moment, the bell went and the three of them got up to head to their first lesson. On their way down to the dungeons, Harry told Ron in greater detail about running into the hospital wing for help only to find Snape there.

The day itself wasn't that bad. Snape, having been face to face with Harry in a bad mood in the middle of the night, avoided him completely, which suited Harry as he had expected him to bully him all lesson.

Harry served his detention that evening with Professor McGonagall, who had him writing an essay on why not to attack a teacher. His arms were aching as he returned to his room three and half hours later, and found nothing but a note in Hermione's handwriting on the table:

_Door 4._

That was all it said. Harry stared at it for a while before it finally clicked. Hermione had gone up to Dumbledore's office and to door number four in his corridor. Harry put the piece of paper back, dropped his bag on the floor by the bedroom door and left. Stepping up to the statue at the end of the corridor, Harry looked up at it wondering if Dumbledore had changed the password, but deciding he had no choice other than to try it, muttered 'Canary Cream' and was shocked when it actually moved.

Harry climbed onto the moving staircase and waited until he reached the top. He was about to push the door open when voices made him stop.

'Albus, I don't think the giants took too kindly to your second attempt. I looked for Sakel but couldn't find him or Madoran anywhere.'

'Perhaps then we would do best to just hope they will return if they are still alive. Such a shame that we cannot convince the giants to...' Dumbledore broke off as Harry knocked on the door. He would have loved to hear the rest of the conversation, but didn't dare wait around for it as he was already on Dumbledore's bad side having just finished a detention. 'Come in,' Harry pushed the door open and stepped tentatively inside.

'Sorry to interrupt Professor, but I think Hermione's up here. Hello Professor Lupin!' Harry said, adding a hello to Lupin, whom he suddenly realised, was the person who had spoken first.

'Hello Harry. When are you going to learn that I'm no longer a professor to you? Its Remus now,' he smiled fondly at Harry.

'Sorry, keep forgetting,' Harry apologised, passing to take the stairs to the corridor. He had reached the top when a sudden idea hit him, something he'd been wondering how to do for a very long time. 'Remus...' Harry said and Remus raised an eyebrow to him in curiosity. Harry took a few moments, considering how and if he could actually ask, then gave in. 'Never mind,' he smiled at him and pushed open the study door and disappeared through it. Harry was at the door marked '4' when he heard Remus call to him from the end of the corridor. Harry doubled back.

'You can ask me anything, Harry, and it's obviously been on your mind for a while now, so why don't you just say it,' Remus said as Harry drew nearer.

'It's just that I...' Harry broke off again, wondering how to word what he wanted to say. 'I can't even ask you for help on it, how I'm gonna say it to Hermione is beyond me,' Harry said with a sigh. Lupin gave a chuckle, placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled at him, waiting patiently for the next part. 'I want to ask Hermione to marry me, but I don't have a ring and I don't get the chance to find one. When I do get to go shopping, Hermione's with me, and that defeats the purpose. Besides, I don't think there are any shops I could go to for a ring in Hogsmeade and...' Harry broke off again. He looked up at Lupin, who had let go of Harry shortly after he had started talking.

Lupin's calm, pleasant face was smiling at Harry in a way he had never seen him smile. His eye glittered with extra respect for him and a few tears that were threatening to break free. He never in his life thought that he would hear Harry say those words, nor did he expect to be asked to help. Lupin cleared his throat and, unable to stop smiling, placed a hand back on Harry's shoulder.

'I'll see what I can find for you Harry,' he said, giving him a wink and left the corridor. Harry stood there for a few minutes before finally turning and heading back to room four.

Hermione was sat on a wooden swing in the middle of a very large and colourful garden. This room, as they had discovered on their first exploration of the corridor was similar to the Room of Requirement. However, it didn't give you want you wanted like the Room of Requirement, it gave the first to enter what it felt they needed. As Harry made his way over to Hermione he realised this was exactly the sort of place she would come to relax, to get away from the stress of everyday life.

'Hermione,' Harry said carefully, being within reach of her. She jumped slightly and turned to look at him and his heart sank. Tears had been streaming down her face; their tracks stained a path across her pale face, giving her a warn and tired look. Harry took another step forward and sat down on the swing next to her. He looked to his left and she to her right to face each other. 'What's wrong?'

'I don't know...' Hermione said, giving him a weak smile. 'I'm afraid, Harry,' Hermione whispered, a new wave of tears flooding her face. Harry instinctively reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. 'I'm so afraid, of so many things,' Hermione sobbed into Harry's shoulder.

'Me too, I mean, we're 17 years old, and about to become parents, while some madman wants me dead and could use you and our baby to get to me. I'm afraid that I'll put you in danger and I'm afraid that if you get captured and live through it, that you'll have to do this all on your own,' Harry said, rubbing his hand up and down Hermione's back. She had gone silent in his arms but didn't move. Harry knew that for the first time ever, Hermione knew for a fact that he loved her. She never thought that he was afraid of the same things she was, they had both kept their fears from each other until now.

Harry pushed back in the swing seat and pulled Hermione onto his lap, not letting her go or pulling her away from him, and they sat this way for what seemed like ages. They didn't move or pull apart until someone cleared their throat nearby. Harry looked up and Hermione turned around to look at Dumbledore and Lupin who stood a few feet away watching them.

'How long have you been standing there?' Harry asked, giving them a suspicious look.

'Only a few minutes, it was a hard choice whether or not to interrupt you,' Lupin said, giving both an encouraging smile that made them both blush. 'It's just that it is nearly midnight and it's best that you both return to your room,' he added as Dumbledore turned away. 

~~**~~

Harry had the best night's sleep that night. He and Hermione had clung to each other all night and they woke entangled in each other arms, which Harry found he liked. They climbed slowly out of bed and dressed before heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry was hastily filling his plate with eggs and bacon when Ron flopped down into the seat beside him.

'What's wrong with you?' Harry asked, buttering his toast. 'You look like you haven't slept all night.'

'I haven't,' Ron growled, loading egg messily onto his plate. 'Peeves spent the night whizzing around the room dropping objects on us all night. He finally got bored at four am and left, but by then we were left to clean up the mess....' At this point Neville sat down opposite them, looking in a worse state then Ron. Seamus and Dean joined him a few minutes later and sat fiddling with their food. Dean had just opened his mouth to complain when hundreds of owls flooded the hall.

'Divination's first, Dean,' Harry told him brightly. 'Plenty of sleep opportunity in there,' he laughed as a screech owl dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of him and stood bobbing up and down with a foot held out, waiting to be paid. As Harry slipped a coin into the pouch on its leg, Hermione picked up the paper and unrolled it. She gave a sudden gasp that made even Lavender and Parvati who were sat a little way down the table turn to look.

'They've arrested Bellatrix Lestrange!' she told them, beaming with the good news. 'She was caught yesterday attempting to get into Diagon Alley,' Hermione paused, a look of confusion on her face. 'Wonder why she wanted to get into Diagon Alley?' she mused aloud.

'Maybe You-Know-Who's out of supplies,' Lavender joked, edging her way down the table to join the conversation.

'Well, he must have to get his Potion ingredients somehow, I guess,' Hermione said, lightly massaging her raised stomach in memory of one of his strongest potions, but at that moment the bell rang to signal the start of lessons and the group had to depart.

~~**~~

November moved swiftly into December and school spirit began to rise with the approaching Christmas holiday, but seventh-year students found that holidays this year would become study periods with the amount of work they had to do for their upcoming exams.

Harry and Hermione barricaded themselves and their friends in their room from the beginning of December, but by the time the first week was over, the distracting sounds of life outside the room forced them to relocate.

'OI!' Ron yelled, sticking his head out though the door one evening. 'We're trying to study in here, shove off!' he added, before slamming the door, but it seemed to have little or no effect.

'Maybe we should find somewhere else to study,' Hermione suggested, screwing up her Potions essay and lobbing it over Ginny's head into the fire and slumping back in her chair.

'Any ideas?' Ren asked, raising her eyebrows.

'Just one, but I need to check we can use it first,' Hermione was up and out of the room before anyone had the chance to say anything else. She returned a few moments later smiling and told the group to bring everything they needed, before leading them out of the room and down the corridor to stop outside the statue to Dumbledore's office.

'We can't go to Dumbledore's office,' Neville said a look of terror on his face, but before anyone else could speak up, the statue moved and Lupin stepped out.

'Hello,' he smiled around at the familiar faces. 'You can go up now; Harry, a word please?'

'Fifteen, Harry,' Hermione said stepping onto the stairs and leading the others up and out of sight.

'Somewhere private, perhaps?' Lupin said, as soon as the statue had retaken its place. Harry led him back into his room and turned to face Lupin. 'I got this for you...' Lupin said, placing his hand into his pocket and pulling out a blue velvet box and handing it over. Harry popped it open and stood completely shocked.

'Wow! How did you get this?' he asked, goggling at the item he held and completely amazed that Lupin had managed to get it. It must have cost a fortune.

'It was your mother’s; James dragged me and Sirius around London looking for it. When they heard that Voldemort was after them, they put it into safe keeping along with these...' He pulled a small white cotton bag from his pocket and tipped its content into his hand. Two gold wedding bands hit his palm and sat glistening at Harry. '...Only myself and Sirius knew their location. We were told that they were saved for you, when you found true love, and that we were not to give them up unless we were sure they would be used wisely, and I think they will be,' Lupin smiled at Harry, who smiled back. 

Harry stared down at the engagement ring still sitting in the velvet box. It was a solid gold band with a ring of white diamonds pushed into the centre that ran all the way around except for the patch at the front where the band dipped away leaving space for a silver diamond cross that sat at the apex.

'Perhaps...' Lupin said after a moment, '...you should find a hiding place for these...' He dropped the golden wedding bands into their cotton bag and handed it to Harry, '...and go join your friends before someone comes looking for you,' he smiled again.

'Thanks,' Harry spat out quickly, as Lupin turned away. 'Thank you,' he said, more calmly, and watched as Lupin bowed his head and left the room.

Harry did a quick sweep of the room before giving up on finding a hiding place, everywhere in this room was accessible to Hermione. Finally, he shoved the rings into his pocket and sprinted up to join his friends, quickly saying hello to the headmaster as he passed.

'Where have you been?' Hermione asked, surveying Harry, who hastily covered his pocket where he had stashed the rings.

'Just talking to Remus,' he said, taking a seat and pulling his Potions essay out of his bag.

As they left their study space hours later on Dumbledore's order, Harry grabbed Ron by the arm to slow him down and let the others drift ahead.

'Can you do me a HUGE favour?' Harry asked, praying Ron would agree.

'Sure mate, what's up?' Harry dug into his pocket and extracted the box and bag that Lupin had given him.

'Can you hide these? Until Christmas; everywhere in our room is too accessible.'

'What are they?' Ron asked, looking bewildered, Harry shifted nervously before muttering his response, which Ron barely caught. 'You're insane!' Ron exclaimed, beaming at Harry. 'All this study's gone to your head.... Where on Earth did you get them?'

'Remus got them for me. I asked him for help months ago; these used to belong to my parents,' Harry added, pressing on Ron how important these items were. 'You can't tell anyone!'

'Like I would,' Ron spat, taking them, and placing them in his bag then left with Harry. 

~~**~~

The rest of December passed quicker than Harry would have hoped and with the final week of term approaching, Harry found his nerves building up. He and Ron were found one morning before breakfast in front of the Gryffindor common room discussing, as Harry stated it, why he was going to propose in the first place.

'Well, I still think you're insane, but then that shouldn't stop you....' Ron stopped, studying the look on Harry's face before he continued. 'Look. I've lost count of how many times you've beaten Lord whatsit, and then there's all those times you've been in other dangerous situations and your still here! So asking Hermione to marry you should be easy as pie.'

'You're gonna ask Hermione to marry you?' Neville stood at the bottom of the stairs to the boys' dormitory in shock, with Dean and Seamus standing behind him. They had all heard the last part of the conversation.

'Wicked Harry!' Seamus awed at him, before all three of the boys moved to sit down with them.

During the last week, Professor McGonagall began asking for students who would be staying for Christmas, and Harry had a sudden panic attack when he realised he didn't know if Hermione would stay or go home for Christmas. It was a great relief when she said she was staying.

~~**~~

Harry woke Christmas Day to a knock on the door. He scrambled out of bed, almost tripping over Crookshanks in the process, and made his way to the door.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS!' everyone shouted, as Harry opened the door, shocked. Harry had to contain himself and was thankful that he didn't have his wand on him. Relaxing, he moved aside, allowing his visitors to enter.

Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny Weasley passed, along with Mr and Mrs Granger, whom Harry had only met twice before now. As Harry closed the door, Remus stepped in looking around.

'Where's Hermione?' he asked.

'Still in bed,' Harry answered, spying Mrs Granger heading his way. 'I'll go wake her,' he said and vanished into their room.

'Where have you been?' Hermione asked, as Harry stepped inside.

'You didn't hear them?' he said pointing over his shoulder to the door.

'Who?'

'Everyone! Almost all the Weasleys and your parents are here. They almost gave me a heart attack shouting "Merry Christmas" when I opened the door!' Harry explained and watched as Hermione's hand shot to her stomach. 'You okay?' he asked, concerned when she looked up at him.

'Baby's kicking,' she breathed, and Harry almost jumped. Moving quickly, he was at her side in a blink and placed his hand on her stomach, then withdrew it when the baby kicked again.

'Whoa!' Harry said in shock. 'That is weird,' he laughed, watching as Hermione's stomach pulsed with the movement again, before tentatively replacing his hand. 'It's also amazing.'

'Huh hum,' Ron cleared his throat from the door. 'You haven't even opened your presents yet and we brought more!'

Harry and Hermione dressed quickly and took their presents to the main room; it was fun opening them with everyone, and the days that followed were just as enjoyable.

A week passed and Harry found himself sitting up in bed on New Year's Eve morning, staring at the wall opposite him. Today would be the day.

By dinnertime, Harry found he had lost his appetite along with his ability to speak. Instead, he sat silently watching as everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve dinner and chatting.

Eight o'clock came and went, nine, ten, eleven, and at eleven thirty Ron tapped him on the shoulder.

'You might need this,' he said, handing Harry the velvet box with the engagement ring in, which Harry took with shaking hands. 'You can do it mate, you belong together,' he said, giving Harry an encouraging smile and pat on the shoulder.

The party was getting wild by eleven fifty, and Harry made his way through the crowd, looking for Hermione.

'Hermione, can we talk?' Harry asked, grabbing her to pull her away from her mum.

'In a minute, Harry, it’s almost midnight.'

'No, now!' he said, pulling her away as Ron took the moment to make his arranged announcement.

'IT'S ALMOST TIME!' he yelled, and everyone went silent. 'But Harry has something to do first,' Ron added with a grin. Harry was well aware of everyone in the room: teachers, remaining student and family and friends turning to watch him. He took a deep breath before getting down on one knee, holding the box in front of him and looking up at Hermione.

'Hermione...' he croaked his throat oddly dry. He swallowed. '...Will you marry me?' he said, watching the shocked expression on her face as she looked down at him in disbelief.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry took a deep breath, everyone was watching him, especially Hermione, and it was starting to scare him. She hadn't said a thing, nothing at all, but he had watched her expression change from shock to what he could only hope was happiness as a tear escaped down her left cheek.

'Harry... I...' Hermione didn't know what to say. She just looked at him in disbelief, not knowing what to do or say to him. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as they watched, expecting her to say "yes", but she didn't know if she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, Hermione quickly thought of a good reason to say "no", but could only come up with single reasons to say "yes". She loved him.

'Yes,' she smiled trying to hold back the tears. 'I will,' a sudden eruption of applause and cheering came from the crowd around them and Hermione suddenly realised that everyone was still there; she had completely forgotten they were there to begin with.

Harry couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe it all night or for the next few months that passed, but she had said yes to him. 

~~**~~

Harry was pleased that the next few months at least had gone without incident. Hermione continued to grow with the baby and Harry's worry intensified the closer it came to the due date, but that worry was only added to with the arrival of another article in the Daily Prophet towards the end of April about Harry and his use of an Unforgivable Curse.

'MINISTRY ATTEMPTS TO REDEEM HARRY POTTER.' Parvati had this version of the paper and was reading it out to Seamus and Neville when Harry, Hermione and Ron sat down. 'Response from a previous article on this matter was greatly received, in particular the response from the Ministry of Magic officials.

'Ministry members state that, "the incident involving Mr Potter and the Unforgivable Curse mentioned is strictly under wraps." Mr Potter was face to face with a Death Eater and used the curse in an attempt to protect himself and his friends. No damage was done by the use of this curse, and as you are all aware, efficient use of an Unforgivable requires the wand to cause damage, and Mr Potter was clearly not wanting to kill the Death Eater at all.'

'Wonderful,' Harry spat, slopping scrambled eggs onto his plate and grabbing a piece of toast. 'Just what I needed, another Ministry inquiry.'

'Don't worry mate, I doubt the Ministry will do anything just because the Daily Prophet thinks you did wrong... again.'

'Ron!' Hermione said, shocked at the tone in Ron's voice at his last word.

'What? I'm only pointing out that the Prophet has said he was a trouble-maker before and the Ministry didn't do anything.'

'Yes, and that really helps make him feel better about them doing it again. You have...'

'Could you two stop arguing for ten minutes?' Harry interrupted, not wanting this conversation to end how all the others did, with neither of them talking to the other and Harry in the middle as a mediator.

'Sorry,' Hermione said, and began helping herself to the breakfast on the table in front of her.

'Yah so'wey mat'!' Ron spat, spraying poached egg on everyone in range and receiving a disgusted look from Hermione.

'What are you guys doing today?' Neville asked, attempting to cut carefully through his toast and only managing to add more scrambled egg to the mess on the table.

'I need to do the Potions homework that's due tomorrow, and the Transfiguration stuff!' Harry said dully, watching Hermione pick up a second slice of toast and refill her goblet with fresh pumpkin juice.

'Can I join you? I haven't done it either, and I haven't got a clue how to make mould cleaner anyway.'

'Neville how is it you managed to stay in Potions this long? I thought you of all people would have opted out of it when we had the chance to last year!' Parvati pointed out, attempting to spoon the egg mess onto a spare plate.

'Gran wanted me to take it, said it would be useful for later life. I think I'm just going to stay clear of any jobs that involve me making potions, I don't care how easy they are!'

Everyone finished breakfast in a jolly mood after Neville's comment and then made their way back up the stairs in the Entrance Hall. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville headed for the private room, leaving everyone else on their way to the library or back to the common room to do their own things.

Studying for a potion on mould turned out to be harder than they had expected. No one noticed that lunch time had come and gone until Dobby knocked gingerly on the door and presented Hermione with food and drink before bowing his way out, the tip of his long nose brushing on the carpet as he went.

They finished in time for dinner, and made their way down to the Great Hall together to enjoy the variety of things on offer. Afterwards, making their way back up to their room, Harry and Hermione bid farewell to Ron and Neville and stepped into the comfort and quiet of their open room.

'Can we just sit here and relax for a bit?' Harry asked hesitantly, taking a seat on the couch. He didn't know what Hermione was planning for the evening, but this was the first time they had been able to sit alone together for quite some time.

'I was hoping you'd say that,' she smiled at him, and joined him, resting her head on his shoulder. Silence fell for a moment. 'We should go to Hogsmeade alone this weekend, do some shopping for baby things, and a few things for our home,' Hermione said as an after thought. Her mind was far from Hogsmeade, but very close to herself right now as the baby had taken to kicking her. She shifted; the position she was currently in wasn't helping to ease the feeling each tiny kick gave her. Sensing that Hermione was uncomfortable, Harry moved to look at her.

'Are you okay?' he asked, watching her face. Seeing no sign of discomfort there, Harry naturally placed his hand on her stomach. He had done this every day for the last three months at least. 'Hmmm. Maybe this one's restless, needs some sleep, just like mum,' Harry said, moving slowly to his feet and pulling Hermione up as he went. 'Come on, bed time, lots of classes to go to tomorrow,' he smiled, leading her to their room. 

~~**~~

The week passed quickly. Harry found his homework load kept his mind from horrible possibilities that could happen any day. Hermione was nearing the end of her pregnancy and was suffering from discomfort in her back and legs, and visiting Madam Pomfrey only got: 'Well, this is what pregnancy does to under-aged people,' and the suggestion of lying on her back and resting wherever possible.

'Lying on my back is impossible!' Hermione complained to Harry late Friday night. She had been lying on her back for the last few minutes but found the baby would kick down towards the bed. 'I'm in more pain lying like that,' she breathed, pushing herself onto her side.

'Here,' Harry said, moving to sit behind her and starting to rub her back and shoulders. 'Does this help?' he asked, moving down to her hips and onto her legs.

'Oh, that's much better,' Hermione sighed into his massaging before completely relaxing.

'Are you sure you want to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow?' He asked, shifting down to her ankles and pulling her socks off.

'Hmmm... I'm sure,' Hermione breathed, as she drifted off to sleep. 

~~**~~

Joining the queue heading out of the castle the next morning, Harry and Hermione discussed what shops they would go to first, including lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

'I want to go to the house first, check out how many rooms we have. We never did get a really good look. I can do that while you go to Honeydukes and Zonko's, then I'll meet you outside that baby shop in the next street,' Hermione reeled off, as they passed Mr Filch and stepped into the bright sunlight. Harry simply agreed and carried on working out what sort of clothes wizard babies wore. Neither of them saw a shadow pulling away from the castle behind them.

They passed through the gate and followed the path to Hogsmeade, separating only when they needed to. Harry took the main street to the shops, disappearing into Honeydukes with the intention of buying more sweets that he needed, while Hermione headed up the path to their new home.

She approached the door, digging into her pocket for the gold key before inserting it into the lock. One turn; she could have sworn they had locked the door properly when they had last visited. It should have turned twice. She pushed the door open slowly, wondering if they had forgotten about a second turn to lock the door.

Stepping in, she looked around carefully before deciding she was being silly and started mentally planning out the house, with the kitchen, living room, study, and bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs, three bedrooms, one with an en-suite, as well as a separate bathroom for guests or children. Another small room gave Hermione the idea of playroom or nursery. Keeping all this information in mind, she headed back down the stairs and stepped out into the bright sunlight again.

The shadow pushed away from a wall nearby and followed Hermione to the end of the street and around the corner before it made its move.

Lunging forward, it shouted a Binding Curse. Upon reaching Hermione, it grabbed the bound girl, muttered a few well-chosen words and vanished, taking her with them.

At the other end of the street, Harry had witnessed the whole thing, watching as the shadow had approached, pulled out a wand and vanished along with Hermione and his unborn child. Harry stood shocked, staring at the spot where they had last been, before he realised that someone was calling his name. He turned around and found himself face to face with Professor Dumbledore.

'Harry, come with us,' he said, and led the way back to the castle. Harry barely realised that with Professor Dumbledore there had been six other people: Professor McGonagall, Madam Hooch, Professor Flitwick, Remus Lupin, Author Weasley and Professor Snape. 

~~**~~

*Not again* Hermione sat in the same empty room as she had nine months previous, feeling as though her every thought was echoing around the walls. She sat in the same chair, in the middle of the room, tied tightly by the ropes that bound her in Hogsmeade, wondering why she had been brought back here. But she didn't need to be told the answer to that; she already knew the answer.

The door behind her creaked open slowly and she heard the slow footsteps of someone entering but in no hurry to reach her.

'I see you managed to keep my gift safe and well,' Hermione closed her eyes; the dark voice of the darkest wizard alive sent a shiver up her spine.

'Voldemort,' she whispered.

'Brave witch, you showed no fear before and I have no doubt you will show none now, but utter my name in front of a Death Eater and you will not be so brave,' he breathed, leaning close to her so that she could feel his cold breath on her neck. 'Speaking of Death Eaters, there seems to be a lack of them, don't you agree?' He chuckled, knowing Hermione wouldn't answer, and stood up straight. Within minutes, Death Eaters were entering the room and surrounding her, and the room suddenly became dark with the black robes of those who followed Lord Voldemort. 

~~**~~

'You knew?' Harry was quickly losing his temper. He sat in the Headmaster's office with all those who had pulled him from Hogsmeade and had just been told of the plans made by Voldemort to take Hermione that weekend. The only thing that had stopped Harry from jumping up and killing Snape on the spot was that he was called away just in time. 'You knew he was going to take her, and you didn't stop us going; you didn't even bother to warn us!' Harry said loudly, his face growing red with anger.

'I am sorry Harry, but we could not tell you or Voldemort would have known there was a spy in his ranks and could very possibly have worked out who it was,' Dumbledore explained. It didn't comfort Harry at all. He would rather Voldemort was aware that Snape was a spy than let him take Hermione.

'So what now? We let him kill her?'

'I don't think he will harm her, he wants her and the baby to get to you,' Lupin said in an attempt to calm Harry down.

'We wait,' Mr Weasley said, moving to sit next to Harry. 'We just need to wait for Severus to tell us what the next move is, and then we can act on it,' as he said 'we', he indicated the people in the office around Harry.

'And what do I do? Wait for everyone else to get killed trying to get Hermione back? I don't think so, I'm going to get her back and get rid of him. I'm sick of being told to sit and wait. I've waited for eight and a half months for him to make a move and he's not going to get what he wants!' Harry pushed himself roughly out of the chair, knocking it over as he went and made a quick beeline for the door. 

~~**~~

Hermione was looking intently around the room. Most of the Death Eaters had spoken, but Hermione was looking for one in particular. If she knew he was there she would feel at little relieved. She counted three in her view that could be him, but she had no idea how many stood out of her sight.

So far, all Voldemort had done was circle her and make comments on how well she had done with carrying her baby, and how he had given her the opportunity of a lifetime. She found he always added 'even if it is going to end soon' at which the Death Eaters would laugh. He was waiting for something, wasting the time in anticipation of something happening; waiting for labour to start.

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath; pain, shooting pain, ran through her stomach. This was the worst possible time for her to have a baby. She held the breath, hoping this was another false labour that she'd experienced a few times over the last three months. The pain subsided, she relaxed and realised that Voldemort and the Death Eaters had watched her the entire time. 

~~**~~

Harry sat in the starry room, staring up at the glowing stars of the ceiling. His attempt to get out of Dumbledore's office had failed due to the fact that Dumbledore had locked it before Harry could get close enough, so instead he had turned and stormed up the stairs, out of sight, into the corridor.

His mind wasn't focusing on the ceiling or even on what Dumbledore and the others were talking about, but instead he wondered how he could get out to find Voldemort and Hermione.

He could very easily get out of the castle. There were many passages that he could use to escape, but the real challenge was getting out of Dumbledore's office without being seen. He took a deep breath and concentrated on getting out.

Harry pulled himself out of his seat quickly and marched to the door, yanked it open and stepped out into the corridor and towards Dumbledore's study. He paused at the door and could hear the voices of those he had left behind, only this time, one other voice was present.

'Snape,' Harry hissed through gritted teeth, before pushing the door open roughly. 'Where is she?' he demanded, staring Snape down, daring him to say “still with Voldemort”. But Snape didn't say anything. Turning instead to Dumbledore, he continued with his report.

'...The death-eaters are constantly with her, it's almost impossible to get clo...' Snape stopped mid sentence as Harry repeated his question.

'Where... IS... Hermione!' he asked, making sure Snape didn't miss a word.

'I will do my best, Headmaster,' Snape said, and turned, heading to the door. Harry seized the opportunity and followed closely behind Snape.

'Tell me where Hermione is. I want to know where he's keeping her. Is he hurting her? What does he plan to do with her? When will you get your act together and bring her back here?'

'Would you mind shutting your mouth for five minutes, Potter? It's not enough that I have to listen to your insufferable whining in my class, but when I'm trying to do my job I don't have to listen,' Snape snapped, and continued to make his way out of the castle. Harry followed.

'I don't whine in class. I do my work, you pick on me, and well, now I'm picking on you and I'm not going to let up until you tell me where Voldemort is keeping Hermione.'

'DON'T SAY HIS NAME!' Snape shot roughly at Harry.

'VOLD-E-MORT!' Harry stretched the name as much as possible; then stared at Snape. 'Take me to him, now,' Snape looked up over Harry's shoulder, but Harry didn't move. He knew this was a trick, and turning to look would lose him the chance to get to Hermione.

Over Harry's shoulder, Dumbledore stood at the front of a very large group of students and teachers all watching the exchange. Dumbledore gave Snape a tiny nod and turned to go back into the school. Looking back at Harry, Snape made the fastest possible move he could make. He grabbed Harry by the scruff of his robes and vanished, taking Harry with him.

~~**~~

*Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, in and out* Hermione repeated these instructions in her head over and over, but she had no idea what she was doing. The pain was getting unbearable and the contractions closer together. *Just stay calm, you'll be okay* she added, as the contraction subsided. 

~~**~~

'Right, Potter,' Snape said, standing in the midst of a dense forest. Over his shoulder, Harry could see a small building in a clearing, lights shinning through the windows. 'That house is where the Dark Lord is right now,' he said, pointing over his shoulder, 'and where he's keeping Hermione,' he paused and poked Harry in the shoulder as he carried on. 'You are not to move from this point until I have taken Hermione out of that house. If you do, she'll be the first to die,' Snape pushed on the last few words, making sure Harry understood and heard what he said.

'Why can't you just Apparate her out of the room?' Harry asked, wanting to get this over and done with.

'Because that house is like Hogwarts, no Apparating or Disapparating, so you had better wait,' Snape said, and disappeared with a snap. Harry crouched down and shifted closer to the house and waited. 

~~**~~

'Untie her Wormtail, she should be comfortable for this,' Voldemort's cold breath was close to Hermione neck again. It caused her to shudder, and as Wormtail moved forward to untie her, she struggled only to find Voldemort's cold hands on her shoulders. 'Now, now, wouldn't want to hurt your child would you?' He let out a long cold laugh.

Behind her, the door opened, and the Death Eaters who had previously vacated the room re-entered, obviously having been told the time had come. Taking a deep breath, Hermione closed her eyes and focused on being somewhere else.

'My Lord,' Hermione's eyes flew open. That was a familiar voice, the one she had looked for previously. 'He is not letting the Potter boy leave,' Hermione's head relaxed back on her shoulders and she let out an exasperated sigh. 'I am unaware of any plans to retrieve her,' Snape's cold, slick voice echoed through the room and right through Hermione's ears. Was he lying? Was he telling the truth?

'Then you are a useless spy to me, Severus,' Voldemort's voice dripped with anger and Hermione could almost guess which direction this conversation was heading. 'So what am I supposed to do with a useless spy?'

'My Lord,' Snape begged, and out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw the Death Eater drop to his knees. 'He is purposely keeping me out of the loop. I believe he suspects I am your spy,' Hermione watched him furtively; his right hand was inching its way down through his jet-black robes and into his pocket.

In one swift movement that Hermione anticipated, Snape pulled his wand from his pocket and shouted a single word that she didn't catch. As he said it, Hermione slid quickly from the chair to the floor, another contraction pushing through her body. The need to push was evident for the first time, but panic forced her to hold back.

Snape grabbed her by the waist, pulled her sharply to her feet and guided her to the doorway. She couldn't see anything; the room had suddenly been filled with a thick black smoke. Out in the fresh air, Hermione collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach, and looked up at him.

'Take this,' Snape said, holding out a long, thin object that he had produced from another pocket in his robes. She grabbed it and felt an all too familiar pulling behind her navel that could only mean the item was a Portkey. She was safe at last. 

~~**~~

Harry had been waiting impatiently in the forest right where Snape had left him. He watched as a flash of light erupted behind the closed curtain in one room of the house. Snape appeared out in the open clutching a very pregnant woman that could only be Hermione. He was almost there when he caught Snape's eye and watched as he and Hermione vanished from view.

He stopped watching the spot where they had been, suddenly realising that if he stood there any longer, he would be dead!

He moved quickly to the door of the house and yanked it open. He was ready, he didn't know what for or what he was going to do, but he was ready anyway. Stepping in he could hear shouts of confusion from inside the room and saw thick black smoke sliding out from underneath the door. Hesitating only for a moment, Harry pulled the door open and was engulfed in the smoke. He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard the whispered words in his ear.

'Give no indication that I took Granger,' Snape had returned. After whispering these words he vanished into the thick of the room and whispered a Clearing Charm that none of the Death Eaters had been able to do properly.

With the smoke cleared, Harry could see the content of the room. Many Death Eaters were looking dazed and perplexed at what had just occurred. Snape stood a few feet from Voldemort, who stood by a single wooden chair in the centre of the room.

'WHERE IS SHE?' he bellowed, looking around at his followers. Harry saw this as an opportunity to make himself known. He took a deep breath and answered.

'I TOOK HER BACK!' Voldemort spun around so fast it made Harry dizzy to watch.

'Seize him!' Voldemort ordered, and every Death Eater in the room pulled out their wand and attempted to catch Harry with ropes. None of them were particularly smart, or quick. Harry had made his move across the room passing each Death Eater, stunning several, and vanished through the open door at the other end. He pulled it shut behind him and locked it.

*Think Harry, what do you need to do?* Truth was, Harry didn't have a clue what he was doing or going to do to end this. He only knew that he wasn't leaving here alive if Voldemort was still at large. 

~~**~~

'HARRY!' Hermione was calling at the top of her voice. The pain of contractions was pushing through her body, demanding that this moment in time be over with, but Hermione didn't want it. She would wait for him. 

~~**~~

Harry moved quickly through the house. He ducked into rooms, avoiding the Death Eaters as they searched for him. He was making his way back to the room he had started in. He knew that Voldemort hadn't left it and he intended to get there and kill him before anyone had the chance to kill him, first.

Pushing the door of the room open, he watched as a few followers disappeared hurriedly up the stairs and out of sight. Harry darted across the hallway and into the first room, just in time to see Wormtail hit the ground dead.

'Voldemort!' Harry growled, holding his wand firmly in his hand, pointed directly at the Dark Lord.

'Harry, what a pleasure to see you,' Voldemort said, pushing a grin onto his face as he turned to see the boy who was to be his end. 'And how is that girl of yours holding up, hmm? The loss of the baby not to hard on her?' he asked, chuckling as Harry's face slipped from determination to shock. 'You didn't take her from here did you, Harry?' Voldemort chuckled again, taking a step forward towards Harry. 'No, I didn't think so. Like you will end, your girlfriend will die from shame, torture and pure weakness, just... as... your parents did,' he stretched the last word out watching Harry's face carefully.

'My parents weren't weak and neither is Hermione,' Harry said, pulling his head up high. 'And I won't be the one dying tonight,' he added through gritted teeth.

'Of course not,' Voldemort almost laugh aloud at Harry's boldness, 'but what do you plan to do to kill me? Poke me in the eye with a sausage?' He let out a loud booming laugh.

'I don't have a sausage,' Harry replied, moving slowly around the edge of the room so that his back was no longer to an open door. Voldemort chuckled.

'Accio wand.' Harry suddenly felt his hand empty and he spun around to see a hooded figure standing in the doorway he had previously vacated. Harry made a quick move, thinking fast. He moved back towards the door and out of the room, sliding between the Death Eater's legs to escape as Voldemort called out again.

'Give up Harry, you'll never leave here alive,' Harry darted through an open door, crossed the room and climbed unceremoniously into an open hatch. 'Your parents were easy targets,' Voldemort shouted, following Harry into the hallway. 'Waited in their house patiently for me, your father even unlocked the door for me,' Harry's anger was building; he could feel his face redden as he made his way backwards around the same tracks he had followed previously. 'Your mother was in your bedroom, Harry, she begged me to let you live, begged that she would do anything for me if I left you alone. HA, what a pointless exercise that was! She stood still and allowed me to end her life, one simple flick of the wand and she was one big ugly lump on your bedroom floor.'

Harry moved into a vacated room and thumped the wall, denting it slightly. He was stuck, trapped wandering around a house in the middle of nowhere, wand-less. He turned around, crossed the room and dented the wall there. He had to think of something quick before someone found him. *Click* the door of the room had closed. A hooded figure moved across the room, holding out its wand. He paused pushed his wand into Harry's chest and then lowered his hood.

'Take it,' Snape said. 'You have as much power as he does,' he added, giving Harry an encouraging smile. He then turned and moved back towards the door.

'Thanks,' Harry blurted out quickly.

'As for your girlfriend,' Voldemort had changed from his parents and now focused on Hermione, 'she was even easier. A fake letter to the guards at her place left her wide open. She was going to write you a letter - "Dear Harry,"' Voldemort put on a false high voice in mock of Hermione, '"oh how I love you, wish to be with you. I can't get you out of my mind,"' he let out a cold laugh. 'I would have been interested to see what she would have written, but the opportunity to scare her was too much! She almost had a heart attack on the spot when she realised I was in her room. Now that was fun, wasn't it Severus?'

Harry heard Snape laugh and then continued on his journey around the house.

'She was so afraid of what I would do. She practically choked on the potion I fed her. And then she couldn't even keep awake long enough for one of my men to drop her in Hogsmeade! How weak she was then? She hasn't changed a bit, sitting in that chair, squirming in agony,' Harry paused. He had entered the room with the chair. He stood staring at it, 'and then I killed it, still inside her. I killed it, just like I was going to do to her and like I will to you,' he let out another cold, long laugh. It was at this point that Harry seized his chance, stepping into the doorway, pointing Snape's wand at Voldemort and shouting, without thinking,

'AVADA KEDAVARA!'

A bright, green light momentarily filled the room, followed by a deadening silence. Harry stood stunned. Had he done that? He looked at Snape, who looked just as shocked as he was, staring down at Voldemort, limp and dead on the floor. He had been facing the room with the chair when Harry had appeared in the doorway, but he hadn't been fast enough to react. Slowly, and with growing realisation the Death Eaters filled the hallway, muttering words of disbelief and anger that Harry had the ability to do such a thing.

Harry moved forward as the main door to the house opened. He pushed Voldemort's form with his foot: no movement. He jabbed him again; nothing.

'Harry,' Harry turned slowly and looked up at Dumbledore. 'It's over Harry,' Harry looked back at Voldemort, expecting him to get up and fight back.

'I killed him!' Harry said in shock. 'I took him by surprise and killed him!' Looking back at Dumbledore, his face torn between shock, happiness and a little regret that he hadn't allowed his enemy the chance of a fair fight.

Harry looked around. Tonks, Remus, Moody and other members of the Order had arrived, including Fred and George Weasley, who stood shocked, looking at Voldemort while holding a Death Eater up by a cord attached to his ankle. He was dangling upside down, attempting to hold his robes up to cover his modesty.

'Come Potter, I think Granger will be waiting for you,' Snape said, guiding Harry from the house and handing him another Portkey before vanishing with him from the grounds. 

~~**~~

'Push, Hermione, push.... That's it, one last big push.'

Hermione's head dropped back on the bed. It was over. She closed her eyes and lay still for just a moment. The pain in her stomach throbbed, her breathing was still ragged from the experience and she listened to the sounds around her, the small cry of a new born baby, the words of a nurse soothing the child, those still caring for the exhausted Hermione and two voices talking to her, her mother and Molly Weasley, both doing as they had done for the last nine months, telling her everything would be fine, and how beautiful her child was.

'It's a girl,' the Healer announced handing the bundle of blankets to its mother. 'She's beautiful,' she smiled. 'What are you going to call her?' she asked.

'Lily,' Hermione breathed. She didn't feel right, the pain in her stomach deepened and she felt drowsy and dizzy. Her arms dropped and someone made a grab for the newborn baby. Hermione didn't know whom, because at that point she passed out. The only thought on her mind was how she'd ended up in this situation. How did this happen? 

~~**~~

Hermione opened her eyes warily; she could hear something, the cooing of a small baby, her baby. She moved to get up, but a sharp pain in her stomach made her stop and lie roughly back down, letting out a moan of pain as she did so.

'Hey,' Harry moved quickly from his seat to her side. He was cradling the baby in his arms, a look of pure delight on his face. Hermione reached out and pushed the cloth from her baby's face and Harry leaned the child down slightly so Hermione could see her. 'She's beautiful, she's got your eyes,' Harry said, smiling at Hermione. Their eyes met and Harry reached down and gave her a kiss on the lips. 'It's all over, Hermione. We're safe to bring her up without fear. He won't be back this time,' Harry said, and kissed her again.

'Aw, get a room!' Ron said, watching them. Harry and Hermione turned to see him and Ren standing in the doorway with a group of people that looked a lot like the whole of the student body, all the teachers and every member of the Order of the Phoenix, as well as several members of the Ministry. Everyone had come to congratulate them.

**Author's Note:**

> My very firs story... I had a lot of improving to do, not sure I succeeded :)


End file.
